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.
Press publishers in Europe and their trade associations call on Vice-President Almunia to reject Google’s revised commitments and to ensure a full enforcement of EU competition law.
The Daily Record and STV have announced a digital partnership to bring the STV Player to the Record's desktop, mobile and tablet audience.
The Duke of York was the guest of honour at The Printing Charity’s 186th Annual Luncheon on 7 November at Stationers’ Hall, London, where he spoke about his efforts focused on education, skills and SMEs to support the UK’s economic success.
Telegraph Men, Telegraph Media Group's (TMG) new online men's channel has announced that the winner of their competition to find the Media Man of the Year is Mark Linnett of Manning Gottlieb OMD.
Johnston Press plc today publishes its Interim Management Statement which has been drawn up for the 18 weeks to 2 November 2013.
Specialist digital publishing group, Green Star Media, has announced the appointment of Alan Pearey as the new editor of Rugby Coach Weekly.
River has announced that following a competitive pitch they have been awarded the brief for Content Strategy from Holland & Barrett.
Forbes Media yesterday announced that it had signed its first technology agreement with ALM, a provider of news and information for the legal and real estate industries.
UK online magazine subscription business, iSUBSCRiBE, yesterday celebrated its 10th anniversary and announced a number of new partnerships, sales channels and business initiatives.
Entries are now open for The 2014 Newspaper Awards, the awards celebrating the best in print and digital news media production and innovation.
The inaugural Norfolk and Norwich Press Ball provided an evening of sparkling entertainment in the name of charity, including a performance from 1981 Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz.
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has announced the appointment of Timothy Barber as Editor of QP Magazine, who will work alongside the current Deputy Editor Tracey Llewellyn. Tim will be reporting to James Gurney, previously the Editor, who becomes Direct
A proposed new media law in Kenya risks imposing severe financial sanctions against journalists, publishers and broadcasters for breaching a code of conduct, and could even bar journalists from working.
The December 2013 issue of Birdwatch will hit the shelves on 28th November with an all-new design and more pages than ever before.
An unprecedented top-level press freedom mission is being sent to the United Kingdom by the world’s press freedom organisations in response to recent actions by the British government.
