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.
MagazineCloner, one of the UK’s leading multi-platform digital publishing companies, has announced that it has reached the milestone of 1000 branded magazines apps live on iOS/ the Apple App Store since the launch of the company in early 2010.
The Macclesfield Express has launched its own readers' referendum over a proposed £90m town centre redevelopment.
The NCTJ’s annual Awards for Excellence in Journalism are now open for entries from students and trainees across the UK.
The Liverpool Echo has been ranked the second best media brand on social media for 2013.
The Financial Times has unveiled fastFT, which it describes as a groundbreaking service that provides market-moving news and views 24 hours a day.
Digital trading card game Fight My Monster is to appear in The Beano.
Grazia magazine is celebrating 25 years of Kate Moss’ supermodel career with a special issue in print, on GraziaDaily.co.uk and on the iPad edition.
Bauer Media’s Closer magazine has announced an exclusive partnership with Matalan, the out of town fashion and homeware retailer, and ITV, in a significant, high six-figure deal.
The June issue sees a complete redesign of motoring magazine, BBC Top Gear, the most extensive since it launched in 1993.
News Corporation and the new News Corporation last week announced that the separation of News Corporation into two distinct publicly traded companies, 21st Century Fox and the new News Corporation, has been formally approved by the Company’s Board of
The Guardian has launched its Australian digital edition, Guardian Australia.
Sidewalk Skateboard Magazine, the longest running UK skate magazine, celebrates its 200th issue.
The first issue of the new paid-for customer magazine launched by Result Customer Communications for Mecca has sold out, say the publishers.
The Sun gave a huge boost to the charity Missing People in its aim to safely reconnect missing children by taking part in the Big Tweet for Missing Children on Saturday 25 May 2013.
The Guardian has announced its planned move to a brand new global domain later this year.
