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 Prince of Wales has written for The Sun, highlighting some of the Sun campaigns as well as the work of the readers, as everyday changes that normal people can make to help save the earth.
Emily Sheffield, who was appointed editor in June 2020, has stepped down from the position, with immediate effect.
Research, commissioned by Readly, shows that British seniors have become more digital since the pandemic started with almost half of those aged 60+ reporting more digital reading over the last year.
NewstrAid, the charity which supports people working in the sale and distribution of newspapers and magazines in the UK has announced the return of its live Christmas Carol Service.
Zephr, a subscription experience platform, has announced the launch of ‘Optimize’, which is designed to unlock the potential of first-party data to personalise subscription experiences.
Coverage of Sir David Amess murder, how the papers reported “one of the most important public health failures”, Churchillian hobbies, saving Christmas, Clarkson’s Farm, campaigning journalism and front page of the fortnight.
Tech company Adnami has announced two new hires to join its London team: Alex Barstow as Publisher Sales Director, UK, and Tom Carr as Agency Sales Director.
Azerion, a digital entertainment and media platform, has announced the acquisition of multi-screen, high-impact digital advertising company, Inskin Media.
Brands are seeing a significant boost to their bottom line from investing in news brands, a new study from Newsworks reveals.
Reach this week announced the appointment of Dr Rebecca Whittington in its newly created Online Safety Editor role, a first in the industry, says the company.
Quintype Technologies, a provider of SaaS digital publishing solutions, has announced their first client in Thailand: Ejan, a specialist publisher of crime reporting.
The Guardian has announced that Joseph Harker has been appointed as senior executive for diversity and development.
Some tabloid editors have a reputation for hard-nosed cynicism, writes Ray Snoddy. Alison Phillips, the Daily Mirror editor, is certainly not one of them.
This is the pained reaction Craig Llewelyn-Williams, founder and principal consultant at The App Lab, often gets from publishers after they’ve called in his team to help steer their new product through to launch.
A successful digital transformation requires a different kind of leadership, writes Professor Lucy Kueng. CEOs need to demonstrate new skills and their top team needs to encompass new roles.
