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.
We know that streamlined collaboration and the integration of digital asset management and multichannel publishing tools can reduce content production time by 40%, says Jeroen Goemans, managing director (EMEA) at WoodWing.
Great content management doesn’t come from flashy features – it comes from understanding your editorial process and choosing tools that elevate it, says Atex's Sara Forni.
The Independent has released a documentary on the impact of US aid funding freezes on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
James Evelegh picks out eight of the many tips on offer at InPublishing’s recent ‘Subscriber Acquisition Special – Q&A’ webinar…
The issue that preoccupied Fleet Street for so long and divided a nation has reared its ugly head again. Paul Connew ponders the media’s reaction to the PM’s EU-reset.
The winners of the press awards were announced at a ceremony on 22nd May in central London.
HSBC has partnered with The Sunday Times for an alternative rich list.
QVC, EuroMillions, Audible, R.M. Williams and Macmillan Cancer Support were winners at the Guardian’s 2025 Advertising Awards.
A local newspaper has successfully challenged a borough council’s refusal to release low-scoring hygiene inspection reports.
Media Concierge has announced that the acquisition of National World has now received formal approval and will move ahead as planned.
The Financial Times is launching Swamp Notes, a podcast on US politics, as a weekly standalone show after it was previously hosted on the FT News Briefing feed.
NUJ urges UK government support for copyright owners following a debate of the Data (Use and Access) Bill.
The survey reveals who IPA agencies and digital specialists consider to be the best media owners to work with.
The 2025 winners are Patrick Butler & Josh Halliday, The Guardian, for The Carer’s Allowance Scandal.
A new tournament unites industry padel players to raise funds for British Heart Foundation.
