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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
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.
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.
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.
Paul Connew looks at the personalities, plots, intrigues and press coverage of the most crucial mid-term elections in modern UK history. Both a referendum on Keir Starmer’s premiership and a make-or-break test of the electoral system itself.
The Guardian yesterday brought its global brand campaign The Whole Picture to the UK, by launching a reinvention of its Points of View advert.
Reach celebrates winners of its second Celebrating Brilliant Journalism Awards.
Charlie Rudd and Natalie Bell to play key leadership roles in delivering the AA’s strategy.
The National Union of Journalists released a message on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day 2026.
PA Media Group has appointed Chris Pharo to lead its PR & Marketing Services division.
The Sun and BILD plans to broadcast Fame Fighting v Misfits Boxing, a German-British boxing event live from Germany on June 6, 2026.
Newsquest has appointed Ben Hardy as editor of the Press and Gazette & Herald in York.
James Evelegh picks out eight top tips from InPublishing’s recent subscriber retention special.
Lina Ghazal has joined PA Media Group as director of public affairs, reporting to CEO Emily Shelley.
Cafeyn Group has announced the addition of The Washington Post to its catalogue.
The AI-powered insight tool allows advertisers to pre-test and optimise campaigns before they go live.
The Independent has unveiled its 2026 Pride programme, expanding its commitment to LGBTQ+ voices.
After almost five years of hosting the Guardian podcast Comfort Eating, Grace Dent will be stepping down and the Guardian will be looking for a new host.
The Guardian earlier this month announced the appointment of James Goode as chief finance officer.
