E-commerce Special
Checkout
A good checkout feels effortless. It has a clean layout, minimal steps, clear pricing and no surprises, says Stewart Robinson, managing director of Full Fat Things.
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
E-commerce Special
Payment
Unsurprisingly, says Philippe van Mastrigt, managing director (Europe) at AdvantageCS, the future of payment in publishing is going to be largely dominated by automation, personalisation, and regulation.
News
Half of UK freelance journalists offered less than 10p a word, new report finds
A survey produced by Sheffield Hallam University and Freelancing for Journalists shows widespread low pay – but high job satisfaction, strong communities and a more diverse workforce than staff newsrooms.
News
The Sun names Gill Smith as editor of The US Sun
Gill Smith has been seconded to be editor of The US Sun, based in New York.
News
Adnami announces Benelux expansion
Adnami accelerates European growth with Benelux expansion.
COLUMN
Bodge-it Day
In terms of sheer incredulity, last week’s budget pushed Kwasi Kwarteng’s 2022 budget close, but this time, both left and right-wing papers delivered scathing verdicts. Paul Connew sums up press reaction…
News
Daily Mail surpasses 25 million TikTok milestone
Daily Mail has announced it has surpassed 25 million followers on its main TikTok account.
News
2026: Trends, technology and trust
As this year draws to a close, Newsworks explores five key areas that will help shape and influence the news industry in 2026.
News
Roularta Printing broadens partnership with the Financial Times
Roularta Printing has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Financial Times, as they now also weekly print premium publications for the UK market.
News
FT Group announces investment and strategic partnership with RavenPack
The Financial Times Group has announced a strategic partnership with RavenPack, a provider of AI and big data analytics for financial services.
News
The Guardian launches new video and audio podcast
The Guardian’s Today in Focus expands with new evening video edition - Today in Focus: The Latest.
News
Newsquest Scotland celebrates subscriber milestone
Newsquest Scotland has passed 50,000 digital subscribers for the first time – marking a major milestone in its drive to build sustainable, reader-funded newsrooms.
News
Preciso announces alliance with the Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Association
Preciso, a bid-smart adtech platform, has strengthened its ties with one of the world’s leading AI hubs.
News
James Lamont to leave FT after 25 years
James Lamont, former director of strategic partnerships and board director, will leave the Financial Times at the end of the year to take up an appointment as chief executive of Norway's
News
BSME Awards 2025 - winners announced
Some of Britain’s best editors, art directors and columnists were crowned last Wednesday evening at the BSME Awards 2025.
