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.
Using social media for sourcing and researching stories has become an essential weapon in the journalist’s armoury. Peter Sands talks to national newspaper journalists about how they use social media … and the perils that they face.
Some publishers put almost as much effort into publishing on sites such as Instagram as they do their own platforms. But with changing user habits, not to mention algorithms, it’s no easy task. Lauren Smith has some advice…
James Evelegh’s roundup of some of the news stories that caught his eye over the last couple of months.
Twenty First News readers attended a special children’s lobby with the Prime Minister at No10 Downing Street on Thursday.
The Packet has launched a new edition covering Truro, Redruth, Camborne and west Cornwall.
The Society of Editors has raised concerns after No 10 Downing Street decided to bypass mainstream media broadcasters for the Prime Minister’s address on the eve of Brexit.
The Association for Online Publishing this week released the results of a six-month analysis into ad discrepancy levels among its members.
The 31st January marks the end of the UK’s time in the EU, something parts of Fleet Street have campaigned long and hard for.
The Guardian has announced that it will no longer accept fossil fuel advertising.
This week, HuffPost UK launches a series looking at issues of mental health in the sporting arena.
AdFactory-International has announced that the Killarney Advertiser has selected the AdFactory Advertising and Editorial system for their print and online publication.
The Printing Charity has announced that John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of Bloomberg, has accepted its invitation to be the charity’s 2020 President.
News UK has unveiled plans for the launch of Times Radio, a new digital radio station in partnership between The Times, The Sunday Times and Wireless.
This week, the government published its response to the Cairncross Review. The Society of Editors and the News Media Association give their reaction.
The Times & The Sunday Times, in partnership with Wireless Studios, have announced a new daily weekday podcast – Stories of Our Times, launching this March.
