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.
A consortium of the world’s largest news agencies, commercial licensing companies and commercial audiovisual archives has called on the UK Government to rethink its plans to weaken UK copyright law and its use of secondary legislation.
Readers of the Express & Star, are being asked for their views on the local issues that affect them most in a wide ranging opinion survey.
The latest IAB/PWC Mobile Adspend report shows a sector in rapid growth. Alex Kozloff looks at the main findings of the report and their implications for publishers.
On 29 November, Lord Justice Leveson presented his long awaited report into the culture, practices and ethics of the press. The million or so words, spread over four volumes, quickly became distilled into one central question – should there be statut
November saw a seismic shift in the regional media landscape, with the launch of Local World. Headed by David Montgomery and Steve Auckland, the new company plans to radically overhaul the structure of local media and ensure its profitable future. Ra
WoodWing Software has merged its operations in North, Central and South America in a new entity: WoodWing The Americas.
Specialist digital publishing group, Green Star Media, has announced the appointment of Trevor Goul-Wheeker as Non-Executive Chairman.
Condé Nast Johansens has announced that 2013 and 2014 herald a digital evolution and brand modernisation for their guides to luxury accommodation throughout the world.
Future, the international media group and leading digital publisher, has announced the appointment of Matt Risley as Online Editor of www.totalfilm.com.
ABC has announced that Self Select Distribution is the first to be accredited as a Bulk Distribution Associate, demonstrating their ability to report and prove their Multidrop Distribution (free copies) to industry agreed standards.
EMAP, the B2B media company, owned by Top Right Group, has announced the appointment of two new members to the senior management team.
Metro, together with Expedia, has launched the ultimate insider’s city guide providing a unique ‘not in the guide books’ insight into four prime destination international cities, starting this week with Reykjavik, followed by Dubai, New York and Hong
The Sunday Times published an advert in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, 13 January.
Trinity Mirror has announced a six-figure deal with The Open University to launch on 13th January 2013.
The House of Lords debated the Leveson report last week.
