REVIEW
QRs not PVs
At the recent PPA Leadership Summit, Richard Neville gave attendees an insight into DC Thomson Media’s Programme Apollo project.
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
News
Campaign Publishing Awards 2021 – winners announced
The winners of this year’s awards were announced at a virtual ceremony on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
News
Reach joins Valuable 500
Reach has joined The Valuable 500 companies in making a commitment to disability inclusion.
News
Independent retailers welcome Sunday Mirror and People margin move
The Federation of Independent Retailers has welcomed the news that Reach PLC will include pro rata terms for newsagents as part of its price increases for the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.
News
City AM joins The Ozone Project
The Ozone Project – a publisher owned digital advertising platform – has announced City AM as the latest title to join the alliance.
FEATURE
Commissioning and Contributor Management
Is there a problem with managing commissions and contributors? Yes, says Paul Driscoll, director at software supplier Media Systems.
News
Newsworks research: Brits want to put differences aside to reunite nation
Eight out of 10 people want to put their differences aside and come together as a nation, a new study from Newsworks reveals.
News
New Wellbeing Suite Launched by Industry Charity NewstrAid
NewstrAid has joined forces with health and wellbeing provider, Spectrum.Life, to launch a new suite of wellbeing resources for those from the industry experiencing stress, anxiety or mental health issues.
News
Newsquest announces major new investment in local journalism
Newsquest, a local media group, has announced a major new £1.5m per annum investment in local journalism with the recruitment of 50 new digital journalist roles across the UK.
News
The Guardian celebrates 200 years
The Guardian is marking its 200th birthday with a series of articles, a festival of online events and a new brand campaign.
News
Jo Allan appointed Chief Executive of Newsworks
Jo Allan has been appointed as Chief Executive of Newsworks, the marketing body for the UK’s national news brands.
News
News UK signs Jose Mourinho in integrated Euros deal
Jose Mourinho is News UK’s star signing for the Euros and will be reaching audiences via exclusive content for The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times and talkSPORT in an extensive integrated deal.
News
The Telegraph Launches New App
The Telegraph has launched a new version of its app, combining the daily edition of The Telegraph newspaper with 24-hour news, comment, analysis, and features.
News
InYourArea unveils biodegradable land art
InYourArea is joining forces with Clean Up Britain and The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust to highlight the threat litter poses to nature by unveiling a gigantic piece of biodegradable land art with the #DTOF.
News
Independent retailers welcome Scotsman’s positive margin decision
The Scotsman has been thanked by the NFRN after the newspaper announced it would be maintaining retailers’ profit margins when it increases the cover prices.
