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.
The Ozone Project has released the new findings of a study by attention technology company Lumen Research, that quantifies the impact of quality publisher content on display and video advertising.
To coincide with Journalism Matters week, News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith calls for an end to the abuse and intimidation of journalists as threats ramp up across the world.
Brighton daily The Argus has introduced a partial paywall for its online football content to “support local journalism and local jobs.”
Lord Rothermere is expected to announce a £400m pensions agreement enabling the delisting of the Daily Mail’s parent company Daily Mail & General Trust.
COP26 analysis, full climate coverage and more is free to read on 3 November at FT.com.
Aquila announced yesterday that it had completed the acquisition of Jaicom Oy through its subsidiary Atex Media Limited.
Acast, a podcast platform, has announced that ‘The Stand with Eamon Dunphy’ podcast has joined the Acast Creator Network.
YouTube has hired its first podcast executive, long-time YouTube staffer Kai Chuk, after a month-long search.
Exponent Private Equity is hiring investment banks to oversee the sale of Spotlight Sports Group, whose flagship brand the Racing Post was launched in 1986.
Publisher’s Toolbox have announced the latest extension to their service offering – the PT Engagement team – designed to power deeper digital fan connections.
Archant in October confirmed the appointment of Paul Jones as new Group Editor to head up its South-West portfolio.
News brands are playing a vital role in informing and educating the population about the threat posed by climate change, according to research by Newsworks to mark Journalism Matters Week.
The Times and The Sunday Times has launched The Times Earth Ad Fund – a £1million advertising fund for sustainability SMEs and charities.
The value of trusted journalism to society has never been more clearly demonstrated than over the last 18 months, writes News Media Association chairman Henry Faure Walker at the start of Journalism Matters week.
Readers of The Scotsman will have an opportunity during COP26 to hear directly from journalists from countries worst hit by climate change.
