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.
Publishers continue to wrestle with the issue of how to maximise a user's time on site and improve engagement and interaction. We grab 5 minutes with Apester's Anya Libova to discuss what they should be doing.
If publishers can deliver attentive audiences, ad dollars will follow. We grab five minutes with Adnami UK MD James Upson to hear how attention can drive value for your media.
Reach announced yesterday the launch of a national and regional campaign focused on a subject that, it says, unites us all: death and grief.
Atex has announced the appointment of Michele Alessandrini as Chief Technology Officer. He will direct the new Cloud Competence Centre and report to CEO Federico Marturano.
The Independent and Evening Standard’s ‘On The Breadline’ Christmas Appeal has now raised more than £3.3 million to support people struggling with the cost-living-crisis since its launch four weeks ago.
Retention makes the subscriptions world go round. Here are some top tips on how you can improve your retention rate.
Newsquest has appointed two co-editors for the Isle of Wight County Press.
Ofcom has ruled that the BBC’s plans for the expansion of their online local news services were not “material”.
The boards of directors of the Alliance for Audited Media and BPA Worldwide have unanimously approved a plan for the two companies to merge.
Emma Tucker has been named the next Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, succeeding Matt Murray.
Newsquest has announced the appointment of three new editors in Scotland.
Data is the key to unlocking revenue growth, but for many publishers, getting their hands on the data they need is a struggle. Brand Metrics’ Sean Adams looks at how publishers can access and visualise their data more effectively.
Reach has announced that it will launch a dedicated US operation in 2023, with particular focus on growing its American audience for the Mirror, Express and a new online iteration of the Irish Star.
Kamal Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of The News Movement has been elected as the new President of the Society of Editors.
A strong relationship between a publisher and their subs bureau can significantly improve subs marketing performance. We grab five minutes with HH&S’s Gemma Heavens to ask how publishers and bureaux should be working together.
