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 latest wave of the Internet Advertising Bureau UK’s Ad Blocking Report, conducted online by YouGov, reveals that 18% of British adults online are currently using ad blocking software. This is a rise from 15% in early June.
The Financial Times yesterday announced two senior editorial appointments. David Pilling is named Africa editor, retaining his role as assistant editor. Beijing bureau chief Jamil Anderlini replaces Pilling as Asia editor. He is also promoted to assi
International publisher Russmedia, headquartered in Austria, have chosen to implement Lineup Systems' web based advertising sales solutions.
Mail Brands UK has announced a major new multi-platform partnership with Iceland that celebrates the ‘Countdown to Christmas’.
The Press Association (PA), the UK and Ireland’s national news agency, is urging the Government to protect the Freedom of Information Act in its current form.
HRH The Duke of York, KG, in his role as The Printing Charity’s President for 2015, attended the charity’s 188th Annual Luncheon at Stationers’ Hall, London on 5 November.
Soft censorship continues to be a major threat to press freedom and the governments of Hungary, Mexico and Serbia appear unwilling to follow recommendations that would guarantee a non-discriminatory allocation of public funds and government advertisi
Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith yesterday announced that Scott Havens has been named Global Head of Digital.
The Financial Times yesterday announced several US appointments, including five new newsroom roles.
The Wall Street Journal today launched WSJ City, a mobile news app for iPhone targeting readers in London’s financial and business community.
The FT is this week launching several new tech-focused products at the 2015 Web Summit, of which the FT is a global media partner.
Last week, the Financial Times and Google announce Hidden Cities. Utilising Google technology and the global knowledge of FT Weekend journalists, Hidden Cities helps readers discover fresh perspectives on some of Europe’s cultural and political capit
The Financial Times yesterday announced the appointment of Sebastian Payne as digital comment editor to lead the redesign of the FT.com comment section and oversee the expression of FT comment across a range of digital formats and channels.
City A.M., London's business newspaper, has boosted its news team with the appointment of Ravender Sembhy as news editor and Billy Bambrough as deputy news editor.
Trinity Mirror plc today announces the proposed acquisition of all of the shares in Local World Holdings Limited not already owned by the Company.
