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.
Many of us have new-found companions. Siri, Alexa and the rest are willing and able to entertain, inform and generally make themselves useful. How do publishers get in on the act? The App Lab’s Ben Tyler has some useful advice if you’re thinking abou
The Financial Times has published a commercial charter, which according to the company, is a first-of-its-kind promise from a publisher to advertising clients.
The Sunday Times last week announced that Ben Preston will join as an executive editor later this year.
The NFRN is accelerating its calls for the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate fairness in the news supply chain after publisher Trinity Mirror announced a price rise for the Daily Mirror accompanied by a cut in the margin that retaile
Two cross-industry standards bodies in the US and UK yesterday announced they will work together to tackle some of the biggest issues facing digital advertising including brand safety, buying transparency, fraud and criminal activity.
Acting as an independent provider, Meetrics will offer advertisers new options to verify the viewability and view duration of their campaigns on Facebook services.
A free and fearless press is society’s single best defence against fake news but action is needed to ensure the news media sector’s quality, agenda-setting journalism can survive and thrive in the digital environment, the News Media Association (NMA)
The closure of Newsquest's subbing hub in Newport, with the loss of 14 jobs, has been described as a disaster by the National Union of Journalists.
The shortlist has been announced for newsawards 2017, the awards event that celebrates the best in news media print, digital and business innovation.
Sun Savers launched in The Scottish Sun on Saturday (4 March) – a brand new loyalty club which will give readers £5 cash for every 28 papers they buy.
News UK has linked up with motoring media company Auto Trader.
Johnston Press has appointed Ian Johnston to the role of Group HR Director.
This weekend the Sunday Post launches a four-part magazine series, showcasing what the beautiful and vibrant country of Scotland has to offer.
With a goal to rapidly accelerate its growing digital audience and commercial offering, the Evening Standard has appointed David Tomchak as Digital Director, Editorial.
The Society of Editors has warned that ‘fake news’ presents a worrying threat to the traditional and professional media.
