INTERVIEW
Power with responsibility
Publishing newspapers is both a privilege and a joy, Edward Iliffe tells Ray Snoddy, but publishers have a responsibility to report events accurately. There can be no excuse for “sloppy journalism”.
News Media
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.
Essential Resources
FEATURE
Returning to growth
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.
Best Practice in Publishing
News media
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…
INTERVIEW
Stand and deliver!
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.
INTERVIEW
Change before charge
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.
INTERVIEW
Ditching the generic
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.
INTERVIEW
The Observer’s premium future
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.
FEATURE
Opportunities & Threats: National News Media
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
FEATURE
Breathing new life into local media
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.
OPINION
We Need Trusted News Brands Now More Than Ever
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.
OUT & ABOUT WITH ALAN GEERE
Weekly does it
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.
All Articles
FEATURE
Just one more thing…
Asking questions is the bread and butter of being a journalist. You can’t get to the bottom of a story without asking a well-constructed question, and usually more than one…
SUPPLIER INTERVIEW
Still using Excel to manage your ad sales? Why is that?
Too many publishers, PSC’s Laurence Cope tells James Evelegh, are managing their advertising sales using tools that are not fit for purpose. This means, he says, that they are making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
FEATURE
Journalism ethics in a populist age
How can journalists exercise ethical responsibility and fulfil their role as society watchdogs when democratically elected leaders tell lies on an epic scale, asks Sara McConnell.
MEDIA FUTURES
Go West, Young Man
Jim Bilton sizes up the US publishing market and assesses the growth opportunities for UK publishers.
The Digital Transformation Journey
National news media
Dominic Carter, group chief commercial officer, News UK, tells Ciar Byrne about how the national news media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
The Digital Transformation Journey
Regional news media
David Higgerson, chief audience officer, Reach plc, tells Ciar Byrne about how the regional news media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
News
Shortlist revealed for 42nd Scottish Press Awards
The shortlist for the 42nd Scottish Press Awards has been announced, with a record number of awards to be won.
COLUMN
Liz Gerard’s Notebook
Blaming the French, immigration by numbers, contrasting views on the home secretary from the Mail titles, the prospect of journalists in UK jails, Pegasus, raising false hopes and unbridled Olympic joy.
FEATURE
Brands and publishers know branded content works – they just need the proof
Branded content campaigns are an increasingly important revenue stream for publishers, but proving their effectiveness has been problematic, writes Sean Adams, global insight director at Brand Metrics. That is, up until now…
News
Regional Press Awards 2020 – shortlists announced
Shortlists have been announced for the Regional Press Awards 2020, which the Society of Editors says, recognise the valiant work undertaken by the regional press during the coronavirus crisis.
News
Mirror unveils new look in first new branding since 2013
Yesterday, the Mirror launched a new masthead and design across all platforms, including its site, apps, social channels and print edition.
News
Guardian publishes 2020/21 financial results
Guardian Media Group has announced statutory results for the 12 months to 28 March 2021.
News
Reach publishes interim results
Reach plc has published interim results for the 26 weeks to 27 June.
News
Hagadone adopts ePublishing’s Digital-to-Print Workflow Solution Duet
The Hagadone Corporation, owner of 13 newspapers in Idaho, Montana and Washington, has transformed their newsroom with software solution Duet, from ePublishing.
