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.
With the Online Safety Bill currently winding its way through parliament, the big question is, can the platforms police themselves effectively, or is legislation needed? Dickon Ross assesses the social media landscape.
Press freedom, something the man in the street might assume could be taken for granted in this country, is under attack. The prospect of jail now hangs over UK journalists.
Lockdown has proved that we can publish remotely. We don’t all need to be in the same room to get our work done. But, just because WFH is possible, is it desirable? Is there a downside? Peter Sands reports.
More and more publishers are going down the membership route, because it offers recurring revenues, brings them closer to their readers & helps future-proof their businesses. Carolyn Morgan has advice for publishers thinking of going down this path.
The Sun has appointed Natasha Clark as its official Environment Correspondent.
First News, a newspaper for children and National World owned JPIMedia are uniting to give children a voice ahead of the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow.
Reach has appointed 14 editors to form a Senior Customer Editor team, as part of its ongoing Customer Value Strategy.
National news brands have joined agencies and brands from all sectors of the UK economy in signing up to the Advertising Association’s Ad Net Zero initiative.
BBC plans to increase its local news footprint constitute an “unprecedented assault” on independent local media, says NMA's Owen Meredith.
Impact has released two new research reports that reveal key drivers for commerce content and the revenue opportunity it presents for digital publishers and brands.
The Independent is marking its 35th birthday this month by announcing the upcoming launch of a petitions website, a series of climate commitments and a new data insight partnership pilot.
Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov are shining examples of journalistic integrity.
Domani is a new Italian newspaper, which launched in September 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. Atex’s Alberto Mari looks at the choices the publisher faced starting a newspaper from scratch.
Bed of Lies and Bryony Gordon's Mad World make a return this month.
Brand Metrics, a company specialising in the measurement of digital advertising, has appointed Taylor Sturtevant to head up its US Customer Success team.
