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.
Newsquest titles in Bradford, York and Darlington are pioneering the company's first modern apprenticeship scheme which gives young people a chance to develop a career in journalism.
Mail Advertising and GAME have announced MailOnline’s first Esports partnership, set to include homepage takeovers, branded videos and a shopping widget within certain Esports articles.
Twice as many adults now use the internet on a smartphone than do on a desktop computer, as smartphones have become the most popular device for going online at every hour of the day, according to new data from Verto Analytics.
The Publishers Audience Measurement Company (PAMCo), has today released the latest NRS audience measurement figures, which blend NRS and AMP print readership data.
Specialist Media Distributor Gold Key Media were awarded the award of Distributor of the Year 2017 by the Financial Times at their annual dinner in Lisbon, during the Distripress Congress.
Yesterday, Metro launched the second of its two new bespoke content features, in collaboration with ITV and the Halifax.
“World News Publishers Outlook 2017” is a new report published by WAN-IFRA this week that examines what top media executives around the world consider to be their greatest priorities, threats and opportunities.
The Sunday Times yesterday announced the appointment of Marina O'Loughlin as its new restaurant critic.
In an expression of their anger and frustration at continued increases in carriage charges and persistent poor service, says the NFRN, 30 retailers from across the country yesterday protested outside of the head office of news wholesaler Smiths News
The Manchester Evening News is launching an edition specifically covering Oldham.
Following an article published on 5 February 2017 in the Mail on Sunday, headlined “EXPOSED How world leaders were duped over global warming”, Bob Ward complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the newspaper had breached Clause
From Sunday, 17 September, The Sunday Business Post, Ireland’s business newspaper will be on sale in all major retail outlets in Greater London, say the publishers.
Journalists working at the Birmingham Mail have reacted with shock and anger at Trinity Mirror’s plans to slash up to 10 jobs at the title, says the NUJ.
“Reality check – making money with Facebook,” a new report published by WAN-IFRA yesterday, challenges news publishers to not only rethink their revenue and relationship strategies with Facebook but also that of all platforms.
Journalists are among various professionals who have been highlighted to be shielded by new legislation intended to update data protection rules, the UK government has said.
