News
Press Distribution Charter seeks voluntary chairman
The Press Distribution Forum is seeking a Voluntary Chairman with a background in newspaper and magazine retailing to oversee the review of the Press Distribution Charter (PDC).
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
Tamworth Herald wraps up Books for Kids campaign
The Tamworth Herald's successful Books For Kids Campaign has reached the last page – with more than 2,500 books being donated to schools across the town.
News
Time Out London Deals Platform Shows exceptional growth
One month after announcing its entry into the group-buying phenomenon originated by sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial, Time Out has achieved over 130,000 sign ups to its daily deals lists.
News
Metro launches new sports betting service
Metro, the free urban national newspaper, this week launches a brand new sports betting service powered by FSB Technology integrated into its Fantasy Football game.
News
Northcliffe appoints Bristol Publisher
Northcliffe Media has announced that Alan Renwick, currently owner of the digital media company Kew Enterprises, has been appointed Publisher of Bristol News and Media Limited.
News
News Corp withdraws proposed undertakings
News Corporation has announced that it is withdrawing its proposed undertakings in lieu of reference to the Competition Commission with respect to its proposed acquisition of BSkyB.
FEATURE
Going Weekly
The daily Torquay Express will become a weekly product from July 21 in what could be a new tide of conversions. Steve Dyson discovers how this has been successful for one newspaper – and wonders who might be next.
FEATURE
Radical ideas for ambitious specialist publishers
The Specialist Media Conference on 25 May 2011 focused on pioneering ideas in specialist media, with case studies from consumer and business to business publishers. Carolyn Morgan reviews the main talking points from the event.
FEATURE
Search – The Evolution Continues
The growth of vertical search, social media and mobile computing has seen search engines having to adapt to stay relevant. As search engines have changed their processes, writes Amanda Watlington, publishers too have had to rethink theirs, to avoid d
FEATURE
Trends and developments in online video
It’s easy to forget that online video is still in its infancy. Much work has been done to iron out early problems and create industry-wide standards and definitions. As a result, writes Jack Wallington, online video advertising is now booming.
FEATURE
It’s that time of year
The accountants are lurking, asking for initial thoughts regarding 2012. As you start to fret over the figures, Jim Chisholm offers ten strategic pointers.
FEATURE
At the top of their game
Against a generally gloomy industry backdrop, the recent Society of Editors Regional Press Awards highlighted the excellent work still being done by some papers. Chairman of the judges, Peter Sands, looks at some of the winning entries and what we ca
FEATURE
No more navel-gazing?
There is one small paradox about the newspaper business at the moment that has largely gone unnoticed. It’s rather like the dog that hasn’t barked. Whatever happened, asks Ray Snoddy, to the specialist media pages in the national press?
News
Northcliffe Media appoints Pennington
Mike Pennington, currently Commercial Director of Yorkshire Post Newspapers in Leeds, has been appointed Publisher for Hull News and Media.
News
Statement by the independent public members of PCC
The independent public members of the Press Complaints Commission have made clear that its work will continue.
