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 News Media Association last week welcomed Apple’s decision to consent to reader apps using a link to their websites to prompt users to sign for subscriptions, which will take effect in 2022.
A recent survey by YouGov for Readly has shown that despite the evidence that reading is essential for children’s development, reading to children is not a priority for many parents and caregivers in the UK.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) yesterday announced new appointments to its Complaints Committee and Appointments Panel.
Publishers across the country have joined forces to back a campaign to support the hospitality sector badly affected by the impact of the pandemic.
Newsquest, a local media group, is giving readers a chance to decide how to give away £125,000 to good causes across the country.
In the run-up to the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November, The Scottish Sun this week launched an eight-page weekly environmental pullout titled The Earth.
The News Media Association has welcomed the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the Cabinet Office’s implementation of FOI laws.
The “10 Most Urgent” list, issued yesterday, is a special edition of the One Free Press Coalition’s monthly list, that spotlights journalists under threat in Afghanistan.
Reach announced today that it has joined the 30% Club, becoming the first UK news publisher to explicitly commit to at least 30% women on its board and senior management team by 2023.
James Evelegh shares his latest reading material, a harrowing book by Sunday Times journalist Christina Lamb.
Afghanistan gets front page treatment, past and present coverage of Afghan conflict, horror in Plymouth, impartiality at the BBC, tributes to Charlie Watts, using first names in headlines and the dangers of predicting Harry Kane's next club.
The way publishers create, manage and distribute content is changing rapidly. How can publishers avoid getting left behind? We grab five minutes with Tom York, general manager at Atex, to find out.
Archant last week announced a major commitment to support young people within the media sector.
The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) has welcomed the decision by publisher Reach PLC to include pro rata terms for newsagents as part of new price increases for its Express news titles.
To spearhead the organisation’s expansion in Sweden, Marcus Ericson has been appointed Country Manager.
