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.
The NUJ has welcomed changes to proposed police media relations guidelines which would have prevented the press from speaking directly to officers working on cases, but believes the police could do much more to help journalists report matters in the
Guardian US this week announced the launch of Inequality and Opportunity in America, a series looking at class issues across America.
Independent retailers have expressed their anger after regional newspaper publisher Johnston Press announced it was slashing the retail margin on 41 of its titles to as little as 10 per cent.
The Sunday Times has appointed Jane McFarland to the position of Fashion Director, working primarily across Style magazine.
Following the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower close to DMGT’s London HQ, more than 80 employees have volunteered their time to help victims of the tragedy.
The Wall Street Journal and the National Theatre have announced a partnership that will focus on innovative storytelling, immersive content and global membership engagement.
The chief executive of the News Media Association, David Newell, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the newspaper and publishing industry.
Exact Editions, the digital publishing platform, yesterday announced two senior appointments to bolster its management team.
The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) sent an observer to Istanbul to monitor the first trial against journalists accused of participating in the failed coup last year.
Google has teamed up with Madgex, the technology provider behind many leading publisher job boards such as Guardian Jobs, to test and launch a new search experience, initially in the US, to help people find jobs more quickly and efficiently.
The Scottish Sun yesterday launched The Scottish Summer Sun Radio station today (Monday, June 19), which will run until 20 August.
The Guardian and Headlong have announced the launch of Brexit Shorts: Dramas from a Divided Nation, a series of nine short films from leading writers - including David Hare, Abi Morgan, Maxine Peake and Meera Syal - responding to the Brexit vote.
Guardian News & Media yesterday announced the appointment of Anna Bateson into the newly created role of chief customer officer.
The New European on Friday announced its move to a tabloid newspaper format. Currently printed in a European-style ‘Berliner’ format, the move will take effect from July 13.
Hundreds of jobs are threatened, families are at risk of being torn apart and TV stations, newspapers and websites risk closure following on from the current Gulf crisis, says the NUJ.
