News
Newspaper Trade Fair Closes on Successful Note
Some 8,000 visitors from more than 90 countries visited IFRA Expo 2011, the world’s largest trade fair for the news publishing industry, which closed in Vienna on Wednesday.
News Media
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.
Essential Resources
FEATURE
Returning to growth
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.
Best Practice in Publishing
News media
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…
INTERVIEW
Stand and deliver!
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.
INTERVIEW
Change before charge
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.
INTERVIEW
Ditching the generic
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.
INTERVIEW
The Observer’s premium future
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.
FEATURE
Opportunities & Threats: National News Media
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
FEATURE
Breathing new life into local media
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.
OPINION
We Need Trusted News Brands Now More Than Ever
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.
OUT & ABOUT WITH ALAN GEERE
Weekly does it
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.
All Articles
News
Metro launches new free Tablet Edition
Metro, the free urban national newspaper, has launched Metro Tablet Edition, its first ever interactive version of the newspaper designed specifically for the iPad.
News
WAN-IFRA appeals to Egypt’s Military Council
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has called on Egypt’s Military Council to provide greater protection for freedom of expression and to end its pursuit of critical voices in the press and on the Internet, to encourage
News
Northcliffe and Trinity Mirror join forces
Northcliffe Media are joining forces with Trinity Mirror Regionals to represent their National Media Sales through AMRA.
News
Johnston Press chooses Localstars for video
Leading regional publisher, Johnston Press, has signed a new three year contract to use online video and rich media advertising services from Localstars, a provider of online technology that helps publishers grow digital advertising sales while reduc
News
FT and Pearson launch ‘FT in education’
The Financial Times and Pearson have announced the launch of FT in education, an initiative that will make the FT’s journalism more easily accessible for customers of Pearson.
News
Impunity for Killers of Journalists Threatens Freedom of Expression
Media employees worldwide continue to face physical violence and persecution of all kinds, whether from public officials, criminals or terrorists, says WAN-IFRA.
News
EU commissioner praises Standard campaign
The Evening Standard’s Get London Reading campaign could be used as a blueprint to improve literacy across Europe, it was revealed this week.
FEATURE
20 questions to ask your magazine app supplier
Magazine publishers are keen to experiment with tablet editions, but are confused by the wide range of systems and contracts offered by the main suppliers. Carolyn Morgan suggests 20 questions you need to put any potential supplier.
News
Guardian and NFRN meet
The meeting was arranged following recent disagreements between the Guardian and the NFRN.
News
WSJ announces management change
The Wall Street Journal Europe has announced the resignation of its publisher, Andrew Langhoff.
News
WAN-IFRA publishes research report
WAN-IFRA has published the “Research Collection 2011 – Shaping the Future of the Newspaper”, a smorgasbord of research reports and report summaries designed to acquaint the industry with the many facets of WAN-IFRA’s research activities in 2011.
News
IASH audit results released
Internet Advertising Sales Houses (IASH) – the IAB council established to police and promote the activities of ad networks in the UK – has announced that 25 Members are IASH accredited following the latest ABC audit (for the period Jan to June 2011).
News
Improve Digital wins Deloitte award
Improve Digital was last week presented with the Deloitte Rising Star Award 2011.
News
XMA Cross Media Award Winners Announced
Ten media companies have won 2011 XMA Cross Media Awards, the annual prize from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) that focused this year on paid-for content apps for smartphones and tablets.
