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.
In the good old days, life was simpler for circulation departments. You had your newsstand sales and you had your subs. Add them together and you got your total circulation figure, which the commercial teams sold advertising against. Alas, as Chris H
News UK is a well-known name in UK media, publishing titles such as The Sun, The Times and Sunday Times. InPublishing was intrigued when in November 2014 News UK announced the launch of a new publisher-facing division: Newssolutions. What is Newssolu
In November, the Society of Editors held its annual conference in Southampton. Two of the main themes, writes Ray Snoddy, were the ongoing debate over press regulation and the deteriorating relationship between press and police.
The Sunday Times has confirmed Jackie Annesley as Editor of its fashion and lifestyle supplement Style magazine, following four months as its Acting Editor. Prior to this she edited the paper’s News Review section.
The Sun has announced that Rachel Richardson will be leaving the newspaper. She has worked for News UK for 12 years, most recently as Editor of Fabulous - the Sun on Sunday magazine.
The News Media Association has called for legislation to protect sources from being uncovered through RIPA powers as the news media industry unites to condemn state surveillance of journalistic activities.
The UK’s Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) – the independent body that defines best practice and standards for online ad trading – confirms that, in mid-December at the IPA, it held the first cross-industry technical group meeting
The restaurant and leisure entrepreneur Luke Johnson is to write a weekly column for The Sunday Times from February 1, the paper announced yesterday.
Retailers’ concerns about high carriage charges came under the spotlight when senior NFRN management met with news wholesaler Newspread in Belfast last week.
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which is bringing its annual summit meeting of the world's press to Washington, D.C., in June, has announced the first confirmed speakers for the event.
The Financial Times has made a number of strategic appointments to its US bureaux, strengthening its coverage of the Americas.
News UK has just launched a brand new dedicated holiday website, The Sun Holidays, packed, say the publishers, with exclusive offers, great savings and plenty of choice.
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has announced that the inaugural Telegraph Cars Forum, in association with the Telegraph Warranty Service, will take place on Wednesday, 11th February at its offices in London and will be streamed live on the Telegraph Car
Chris Blackhurst, the multi-media head of business at the Evening Standard and Independent, has decided to step down.
The Swindon Advertiser has been banned from Swindon Town press conferences for the second time by the club.
