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.
Independent local title The West Leeds Dispatch is to open a public-facing office for the first time, and begin producing print editions, after securing £112,000 from the National Lottery’s Community Fund.
The New York Times Co has agreed a $550m cash deal to acquire subscription-based sports site The Athletic.
Piers Morgan Uncensored, the new weekly column, starts this week. The column will see Piers tackle big talking points as and when they happen, with no fixed day of the week for publication, says The Sun.
Bloomberg Media chief executive Justin Smith is stepping down to start a new venture alongside New York Times columnist Ben Smith targeting educated English-speaking readers around the world.
Associated Newspapers will pay the Duchess of Sussex a nominal £1 in damages for invading her privacy in documents and confirmed it will not take the case to the Supreme Court.
January diet plans, Rebel Wilson, flesh fest, the Covid divide, intemperate wording, mask-wearing, the Sutton house fire tragedy, London stabbings, the Colston Four, Sir Tony, Prince Andrew, MoS’s front page apology and front page of the fortnight.
Industry charity NewstrAid is challenging the newspaper and magazine trade to set a personal goal for the new year and use it to fundraise for colleagues who are facing hardship this winter.
Northern Echo editor Karl Holbrook is leaving the regional daily to join the Daily Express as executive editor.
Hong Kong's Citizen News has announced it will close down, citing safety concerns for its reporters.
Following a series of successful campaigns and a new UK advertising strategy, the Guardian has announced a series of senior promotions within the team.
JPIMedia city news website Newcastle World has promoted football writer Liam Kennedy to editor.
Hong Kong online pro-democracy outlet Stand News has been raided by hundreds of Hong Kong national security police, who arrested six people for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”.
The Mail on Sunday has opted against taking its privacy battle with the Duchess of Sussex to the Supreme Court, and has agreed to pay undisclosed "financial remedies" to settle the case.
JPIMedia's Northumberland Gazette has absorbed the websites of The Berwick Advertiser, Morpeth Herald and News Post Leader.
The Financial Times has appointed Christina Michalos QC as its editorial complaints commissioner.
