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.
At WoodWing´s Xperience conference, CoDesCo IT Consulting, a German developer of IT solutions for publishing and communications, introduced Smart Translation Solution for WoodWing´s multi-channel publishing system Enterprise and its editorial managem
Haymarket Media Group has launched its new UK apprenticeship scheme that aims to tackle the current skills shortage and develop the next generation of media talent.
Independent news retailers in the South West have applauded news wholesaler Smiths News’ decision not to increase carriage charges when it takes over the distribution of News UK titles from Dash next month.
The Association of Online Publishers (AOP), yesterday announced the appointment of Tim Faircliff as Executive Chairman.
MailOnline has announced the appointment of Jon Steinberg as its North America Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Hearst Magazines UK has launched a landmark new initiative designed to highlight the lack of women creatives in the UK advertising industry.
The Press and Journal has launched a new supplement, thebusiness. The monthly section will be distributed as part of The Press and Journal from Monday 16th June 2014.
Hearst Magazines UK has announced the appointment of Becky Gee in the newly created role of Publisher for its luxury lifestyle brand, Red.
The Financial Times yesterday kicked off this year’s Digital Learning Week (FT DLW) with a focus on data visualisation, digital leadership and creating news for the next generation.
Madgex has announced the launch of its first job board in France, GlobalSportsJobs.fr.
Forbes Media announced yesterday at the 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that, according to recently released GfK MRI data, Forbes magazine has achieved its highest readership ever in the US, increasing by over one million reade
The following complaints which have been recently resolved by the PCC to the satisfaction of the complainant.
The publisher of SME magazine, a leading trade title for small and medium-sized businesses, has appointed Simon King as its new editor.
The Press Complaints Commission has ruled that sufficient remedial action was offered by the Glasgow Herald in response to a recent complaint.
Media Wales yesterday announced that Newsroom 3.1 is to go live in July.
