News
Society welcomes solicitors warning notice on SLAPPs
The Society of Editors has welcomed the publication of a warning notice by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
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
‘Publishing is not a crime’: media groups urge US to drop Julian Assange charges
The US government must drop its prosecution of Julian Assange because it is undermining press freedom, according to the media organisations that first helped him publish leaked diplomatic cables.
News
National World commissions World Cup mural
As the World Cup continues to dominate the headlines, National World is collaborating with global creative network Talenthouse to capture the drama on and off the pitch in a new way.
News
The Independent partners with Black Deer Festival
The Independent has announced a new exclusive partnership with Black Deer Festival, the Americana music event that will take place in Eridge Park in Kent on 16-18 June 2023.
COLUMN
Liz Gerard’s Notebook
When football was no job for a girl, how to report this World Cup, a poorly advised Ronaldo, same-ish Sun fronts, over-reliance on betting firms, the GBBO final leaves Fleet Street underwhelmed and front page of the fortnight.
News
LOCALiQ publishes State of Digital Marketing Report
Hundreds of UK small businesses have contributed to a nationwide business survey run by LOCALiQ - part of Newsquest Media Group.
News
Metro reinstates Pride logo
Metro.co.uk has announced a return to their rainbow Pride logo across all platforms in protest against Qatar’s human rights abuses and in support of the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world.
News
The Independent and Evening Standard launch Christmas Appeal
The Independent and Evening Standard yesterday launched their joint Christmas appeal, On The Breadline.
News
Readly launches in France
Readly, a digital magazine and newspaper subscription app, debuts its offering in France this week.
News
The Telegraph launches new puzzle – Cross Atlantic
The Telegraph has launched its first new flagship crossword in almost 15 years, taking inspiration from across the Atlantic, with a distinctly British twist.
News
National World supports The Trussell Trust
Titles across the National World portfolio have launched a campaign in support of The Trussell Trust, to encourage emergency support for food bank centres across the UK.
News
Courts system needs to do more to support open justice, says SoE
Despite “significant progress” by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in modernising the courts system, more can be done to support open justice, the Society of Editors has urged.
News
dmg media appoints Robin Raven
dmg media has announced the appointment of Robin Raven as Chief Product Officer.
News
Mail’s Black Friday offer is slap in face for news retailers, says The Fed
The Fed (Federation of Independent Retailers) has criticised the Mail’s latest digital subscription offer as a “cynical ploy to lure customers away from printed newspapers and a snub to newsagents”.
News
The Guardian announces 2022 World Cup coverage
As the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, the Guardian’s sports team will be reporting on every game with coverage across audio, video, digital, print and events.
