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.
Future, the special interest publisher, has announced the launch of its 100th digital edition for iPad, with sales of digital editions and bespoke apps on tablets now on track to become one of the company's biggest drivers of revenue and profit growt
PCS has appointed a new Business Development Manager to drive the company forward into new market sectors and geographies.
The NFRN has reacted angrily to the decision of Sussex Newspapers to cut its retail terms.
Keith Harrison has been appointed Editor of the Shropshire Star and Shropshire Weekly Newspapers.
Mousebreaker – IPC’s casual games site – and Nuts have announced a partnership with digital marketing and technology company 20:20 to support the Pepsi Max ‘Win Wild Times With Mates’ campaign.
The Press Complaints Commission has responded to the news of Baroness Buscombe's decision to leave in advance of the end of her three-year term of office.
Baroness Buscombe's three-year term of office comes to an end in the New Year. She announced at the end of July her decision not to continue beyond that term to allow ample time for her successor to be found.
IPC Media has announced the promotion of Paul Cheal to digital publishing director across IPC Media.
Quark has announced the availability of Quark Publishing System 9, the new release of Quark’s dynamic publishing platform for automated publishing to print, Web, e-reader, mobile, and tablet devices.
Johnston Press plc has announced that Ashley Highfield will join the Company as its new Chief Executive and as a Director of the Company on 1 November 2011.
The NFRN has reacted to comments made by Mike Newman, Chairman of the Newspaper Publishers Association Circulation Executive, published in MediaWeek in July.
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) is to launch a multimedia campaign for Citroën UK to promote the launch of the new Citroën DS4.
John Meehan, editor of the Hull Daily Mail for 14 years, is to leave Northcliffe Media on 14th October.
Dennis Publishing has announced that Carbuyer.co.uk has been awarded an Internet Crystal Mark from the Plain English Campaign.
This Interim Management Statement ('IMS') covers the third quarter of DMGT's financial year to 2nd July 2011 and describes the Group's financial position and performance during the period, updated to the latest practicable date.
