News
The PinkNews Awards returns for a tenth year
PinkNews has announced that its Awards will return for a tenth year.
News Media
The newspaper business was built for a world where one product served everyone and advertising paid for most of it. That model has gone. What replaces it is still being worked out title by title, from national groups to weeklies covering a single town.
Reader revenue is the clearest shift. Even Reach, which argued for free access for years, now puts some of its journalism behind a paywall, and the regional titles doing best changed their newsrooms before they asked anyone to pay. Ownership keeps changing too. National World rebuilt local editorships after years of centralisation, and the Observer is being reinvented as a premium print and digital title under new owners.
The strongest publishers understand the difference because they are not trying to be everything to everyone. They are trying to be essential to someone.
Chris Sherrard News media
Local news is where the pressure shows most. Millions of people now live without a dedicated local title, and new reader-funded and membership startups are moving into the gaps. Platforms are pulling back from news at the same time, which leaves trust and a direct relationship with readers as the assets that matter most.
Print hasn't disappeared either. Well-run weeklies still hold on to their readers, with circulation falling slowly while digital audiences grow.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on news media, from reader revenue and newsroom change to ownership, local news and trust, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Essential Resources
FEATURE
Returning to growth
Where is the growth opportunity for today’s publishers? Douglas McCabe tracks how the commercial model has evolved over the past fifty years and examines whether a better understanding of what online audiences want, will help drive future growth.
Best Practice in Publishing
News media
We asked Chris Sherrard, editor-in-chief of The Irish News, what does best practice publishing look like in news media? This is what he said…
INTERVIEW
Stand and deliver!
After years of resisting paywalls, Reach is now launching them across its titles. But David Higgerson, Reach’s chief content officer, carefully avoided the word ‘U-turn’ when interviewed by Steve Dyson.
INTERVIEW
Change before charge
It’s one thing to think that readers should pay for your journalism, but the reality is that unless you improve your offering, then you will struggle to start charging for it, as DC Thomson Editor-in-Chief Frank O’Donnell tells Ciar Byrne.
INTERVIEW
Ditching the generic
How can you edit a regional newspaper when you never visit the area you’re writing about? By filling it with generic content, an approach that National World’s David Montgomery, the new owner of JPI Media, is rapidly doing away with.
INTERVIEW
The Observer’s premium future
Ray Snoddy talks to Co-CEO Rich Furness about the thinking behind Tortoise Media’s acquisition of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper and about their plans for its future.
FEATURE
Opportunities & Threats: National News Media
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
FEATURE
Breathing new life into local media
There is a new generation of entrepreneurs launching local media businesses, bringing with them new ideas on business models and funding. Phil Clark looks at some of the stand-out examples.
OPINION
We Need Trusted News Brands Now More Than Ever
With Meta backing away from ‘news’ and AI accelerating the growth of disinformation, we need to redouble our efforts to safeguard access to quality journalism, says News Media Association Chief Executive Owen Meredith.
OUT & ABOUT WITH ALAN GEERE
Weekly does it
East Lothian is not just the best place to live – it has the best newsbrand too. Alan Geere heads over the border to find out what’s happening in the world of Scottish weeklies.
All Articles
News
Harmsworth Media to appoint Roland Agambar CEO
Roland Agambar will be taking on the role of Harmsworth Media CEO.
News
Local journalism collaborative launches The Scottish Beacon
Eighteen independent local and hyperlocal news publications serving urban and rural communities across Scotland have joined forces to create The Scottish Beacon, a new national publication.
News
National World launches new TV brand
National World plc has announced the launch of a new TV brand: Shots!
News
Nottinghamshire Live launches AI trial
The editor of Nottinghamshire Live has written a letter to readers about its experimentation with AI tools.
News
Financial Times launches China Focus
The Financial Times has announced the launch of a new curated section on its website called China Focus.
INTERVIEW
First rung on the ladder
A successful career in journalism needs a start point, and that is why Richard Tait tells his students to focus on securing that all-important first job. Assuming they have the right skills and attitude, opportunities will flow from there.
RESEARCH
News: changing consumption patterns
According to the latest Digital News Report, platform and format shifts are raising fresh challenges for news publishers. Nic Newman looks at some of the main findings.
FEATURE
Women in the line of fire: the global problem of online violence against women in journalism
The abuse of female journalists is a scourge on the media sector, impacting the careers and mental health of the women themselves and diminishing the industry as a whole. Dr Rebecca Whittington looks at what can be done about it.
OUT & ABOUT WITH ALAN GEERE
News media – planning for the future
What have the *Academics ever done for us? The age-old mistrust – sorry, debate – between journalists and academics is taking a forward-thinking turn. Alan Geere goes behind the headlines.
FEATURE
SEO: the key trends for publishers
The world of SEO has changed dramatically over the past ten years and is set to be disrupted further by recent advances in AI. Carly Steven looks at what publishers need to be doing to keep the traffic flowing.
FEATURE
Press freedom: held back by dead hand of UK libel laws
As press freedom in the UK has no constitutional protection, there is a constant battle to fight off restrictions. There are some victories tempered by defeats but over it all looms the massive costs and financial risks of libel actions.
FEATURE
Standing at the coronation crossroads
Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on 2 June 1953 was only the second time schoolboy Paul Connew had watched television. Following King Charles's, Paul looks at the changing attitudes to the monarchy and whether these are being reflected in the media.
News
PressReader and Gannett expand partnership
PressReader and Gannett have announced they have joined forces to expand USA TODAY’s global audience.
News
The Fed expresses dismay
The Federation of Independent Retailers has expressed its dismay as Telegraph terms cut takes effect.
