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.
Following a £7m deal signed at Drupa 2012 for two of the latest Heidelberg long perfecting presses, Buxton is forging ahead with its £20m investment plan with the installation of another Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106-8-P.
EMAP, the content, subscription and networking business, has announced the appointment of Richard Breeden as Managing Director for a portfolio of its brands.
Lineup Systems, a leading international provider of web-based advertising and CRM systems has announced a recent deployment of their AdPoint solution at the Telegraaf Media Groep (TMG), one of the largest publishers in The Netherlands.
Time Out and MasterCard have announced an exclusive The Beano pull-out, which features within this week’s Time Out magazine, to celebrate 75 years of The Beano.
The Telegraph will be launching a new technology content platform in partnership with Wired.co.uk, bringing together the week's top trending technology stories, to promote the BMW i3 Concept Coupé.
Monster Machines, a new alternative monthly magazine from LCD Publishing, goes on sale 14 June, priced £2.99.
WIRED UK is launching WIRED 2013: Next Generation, a one day event curated for schoolchildren aged 12 – 16 years old.
To celebrate 30 years of The Hill magazine, award-winning interior designer, and new BBC dragon, Kelly Hoppen MBE, has guest edited the July issue.
Marvel Fact Files Wolverine Special, a new oneshot from Eaglemoss Publications, goes on sale 20 June 2013, priced £12.99.
PlayStation is to exclusively stream the Orange Amplification Metal Hammer Golden God Awards 2013.
Following on the heels of the recent re-design and re-launch of the THE website, comes a new hybrid HTML5 app for iPad and iPhone users.
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has launched a new initiative to ensure that users of news sites are protected from unauthorized collection of data.
The NFRN has launched its first ever news charter to improve service delivery throughout the supply chain.
Jeremy Clifford, editor of The Star and the Sheffield Telegraph, has been appointed editorial director of the Yorkshire publishing unit in Johnston Press.
Media Trust, The Sun and The Scottish Sun have joined forces to launch Column Idol 2013, an initiative to find raw, undiscovered writing talent and get young voices heard.
