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.
Gold Key Media today announced that Oliver Morgan has been promoted to the position of Business Development Director to further develop their portfolio of UK and international publishing clients.
Guardian News & Media is partnering with Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to launch the Cannes Young Lions competition for 2015, which aims to showcase young talent working in the UK advertising and communications industries.
The shortlist has been announced for the British Media Awards 2015.
The DMGT Corporate Responsibility (CR) Committee has announced the winners of the third annual Community Champions Awards (CCAs), a Group-wide initiative recognising employees who give of their time to support good causes and make a difference in the
Research released today by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK, BVDW, IAB Europe, IAB France, IAB Italy, and IAB Spain, shows that 27% of UK media agencies employees have “no idea” how to comply with mobile privacy, and 22% have “no idea” about
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) yesterday confirmed its exclusive UK partnership with Fox Searchlight, to live stream the UK Royal Premiere of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2’.
The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, i, London Live and London Evening Standard have raised over £700,000 for their Homeless Veterans Christmas campaign in association with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Veterans Aid, making it the newspaper gr
On Friday, Telegraph Media Group (TMG) launched Spark, a new creative commercial department “super-charged by data and ground breaking analytics”, where, says the Telegraph, “mad men meet math men”.
Newsquest Media Group announced on Friday the temporary replacements of two Acting Editors at Newsquest Dorset to cover Toby Granville’s Group role secondment.
Trinity Mirror, owner of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday, today issued a public apology regarding phone hacking.
High profile figures in Scottish football have spoken out against Rangers FC after the Daily Record became the latest newspaper to be banned by its local football club because of its reporting.
The Guardian yesterday launched ‘Watch Me Date’, a new weekly video series which will bring the Guardian’s popular ‘Blind Date’ series to life.
Kasturi Balaji, Director of Kasturi & Sons, Publisher of The Hindu newspaper in India, has been elected the first Chair of the newly founded World Printers Forum, which aims to encourage innovation and the continued development of printed news media.
Ilford Recorder editor Chris Carter has celebrated 25 years’ service at Archant with a presentation at the company’s Ilford office.
The Financial Times 2014/15 seasonal appeal has raised over £2m for International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global charity that saves and rebuilds lives in the wake of conflict and disaster.
