News
Brentwood Gazette named Weekly Newspaper of the Year
The Brentwood Gazette has been crowned Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid For) at the EDF East of England Media Awards.
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
Another ‘quality’ jobs site for Redactive
Redactive and the Chartered Quality Institute have added www.qualityjobs.org.uk to their long-standing partnership.
News
Stuff unveils innovative new website
The new site, which remains at the domain www.stuff.tv, provides gadget fans with the ultimate one-stop shop for news, reviews and videos, says Haymarket.
News
New DD service for HND newsagents
Locallink, a new direct debit service for HND newsagents, has just been lauched.
News
Nick Lester appointed Newspaper Conference Chairman
Nick Lester, parliamentary lobby correspondent for Northcliffe, has been appointed chairman of the Newspaper Conference.
News
Keith Donaldson appointed JICREG Chief Executive
Keith Donaldson has been appointed to the role of chief executive with the Joint Industry Committee for Regional Media Research (JICREG).
News
Superdrug’s customer magazine dares to be different
Superdrug’s customer magazine, Dare, has gone through a major transformation this month and is setting new standards in interactive technology, say the publishers.
FEATURE
It’s not rocket science
Anthony Thornton was recently appointed digital editorial development director for IPC Southbank Fashion. Here, Anthony outlines his approach to digital development.
FEATURE
Why is Product Development all the rage?
AOP’s Product Development Committee just celebrated its first birthday, with the appointment of the Guardian’s head of product development Piers Jones as chair. AOP Director Lee Baker explains the importance of this discipline for media owners.
FEATURE
Murdoch’s Daily
So what’s with The Daily, News Corp’s new “iPad only” service. As with every news industry innovation, it has been met with short-term derision, and criticism, but writes Jim Chisholm, this is really very interesting.
News
PCC publishes guidance on online prominence
The Press Complaints Commission has published guidance to the newspaper and magazine industry about the prominence of the publication online of PCC-negotiated corrections and apologies.
News
NFRN Helpline Gives Members Some New Year Cheer
The NFRN Helpline recouped more than £5,000 from news wholesalers for members during January, latest statistics reveal.
FEATURE
Media Pioneer Awards – Millivres Prowler
The latest Media Pioneer is Millivres Prowler Group (MPG), writes Carolyn Morgan, for their apps, web, video and social media for the international gay community.
News
Tim Brooks to leave the Guardian
Guardian Media Group (GMG) has announced that Tim Brooks, managing director of Guardian News & Media (GNM) and a director of GMG, is to leave the company.
News
KM Group reorganises senior editorial team in West Kent
KM Group has announced a reshuffle of its senior editorial team, which sees the appointment of the first female Kent Messenger editor in the title’s 152-year history.
