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.
NME, the multiplatform music brand, has announced a partnership with Enjoy Experiences for the launch of CLUBNME.COM.BR, along with the imminent launch of live Club NME nights to be hosted in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Described as a cornerstone of fashion, beauty, and shopping for a new generation, the American style website Refinery29 is expanding to the UK, providing Londoners with a new, one-stop destination for all things fashionable.
BBC Good Food’s Christmas issue is a ground-breaking interactive edition, offering exciting augmented reality content to readers who have smart phones and tablets.
Glamour recently undertook its biggest-ever research project in Britain, unearthing several fascinating trends in the media consumption habits of the UK's women.
The PPA has published the shortlist for the 2012 Customer Direct Awards.
Times Educational Supplement Scotland has been named Magazine of the Year at the 2012 Scottish Magazine Awards organised by PPA Scotland.
The Press Complaints Commission has ruled that an article in the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald breached Clause 5 ii (Intrusion into grief or shock) of the Editors' Code of Practice by including "excessive detail" about a method of suicide in an inques
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has launched two new digital subscription packages for its international web audience.
UBM plc has announced that PR Newswire has acquired the outstanding 50% share in its Canada Newswire (CNW) business from the PA Group Limited (PA Group) for cash consideration of £30.1m. Following the transaction, UBM will retain its 17% interest in
The team behind Third Sector has just launched ThirdSectorVolunteering, a brand new site that brings volunteers and UK charities together by matching the right volunteers to the most exciting opportunities.
According to the Justice Committee, the European Union Data Protection proposals "need to go back to the drawing board".
The entire twenty year digital archive of Dazed & Confused magazine is now available on Apple Newsstand.
Julia Hutchison, COO of the CMA (formerly the APA) has announced that she will be leaving the association after nine years at its helm to take up a role as Head of Content Marketing at FMG.
Dora The Explorer Little Cooks Festive Decoration Special, a oneshot from Eaglemoss, goes on sale 15 November, priced £8.99.
Newsworks, previously known as the Newspaper Marketing Agency, has unveiled a new-look website.
