News
The Independent announces partnership with Bolt
The Independent has launched a new way to shop, in partnership with Bolt.
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
Margaret Simons appointed to The Scott Trust
The Scott Trust, shareholder of Guardian Media Group, has announced the appointment of journalist and author Margaret Simons to its board.
News
Guardian University Guide 2023 to launch this weekend
The Guardian University Guide 2023 will be available on the Guardian website and will be included as a free supplement with the Guardian newspaper on Saturday 24 September.
News
The Times & The Sunday Times partner with Glide
The Times & The Sunday Times have chosen Glide to power its education brands Good University Guide and Parent Power.
News
WAN-IFRA strengthens its presence in Spain and Latin America
WAN-IFRA has strengthened its presence in Spain and Latin America with the appointment of Olga Britto and Raquel González.
News
National World believes BBC must reduce online news market share
A major regional media publisher has said the BBC must substantially curtail its local news websites otherwise more community titles will go out of business.
News
The Guardian’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast returns
Following the success of the England women’s football team this summer at the Women’s Euro 2022, women’s football is back for another season and so is the Guardian’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast.
News
Readly becomes part of MONOPOLY at McDonald’s game
Readly, a digital magazine and newspaper subscription app, has announced that it has joined the MONOPOLY at McDonald’s game as it returns to the fast food chain this September.
COLUMN
Liz Gerard’s Notebook
How Fleet Street covered the death of Queen Elizabeth.
COLUMN
The press – no one covered it better
As media events go, the death of Queen Elizabeth was immense. How did the press measure up?
Q&A
Personalisation: 5 minutes with… Steve Wilson-Beales
Creating a personalised experience for users is a top priority. Global’s Steve Wilson-Beales, is chairing the ‘Experience Tech Talk’, part of the upcoming AOP Publishing Tech Talk event. We grab 5 minutes with him to talk through some of the issues.
News
World Media Awards announces 2022 winners
The World Media Group, an alliance of global media organisations united in championing trusted journalism, has announced its 2022 World Media Awards winners, including Johnnie Walker as the Grand Prix winner.
News
NMA calls on Truss to introduce DMU legislation ‘as soon as possible’
The News Media Association has called on the new Prime Minister to introduce the legislation equipping the Digital Markets Unit with the statutory powers it needs to level the playing field for publishers and platforms “as soon as possible.”
Q&A
Audio engagement: 5 minutes with… Chris Couchman
Whether it is via podcasts or text-to-speech, listening is becoming an increasingly popular way to consume publisher content. We grab five minutes with Chris Couchman, head of content at Readly, to explore the audio opportunity.
COLUMN
Liz Gerard’s Notebook
Charlie and the letter ‘z’, Dave Clarke, the changing nature of journalism, Liz Truss, Mail outraged by comedian, Boris Johnson’s legacy, dealing with maggots and headline of the year (so far).
