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 has launched T3: iPad Edition – its first fully bespoke digital magazine for Apple’s tablet. Available for download from the App Store, the latest T3 brand extension includes Audi and Intel among its launch commercial partners.
BBC Magazines has appointed Rebekah Billingsley to oversee the publisher's strategy for taking its magazine brands onto mobile devices.
United Business Media has announced that it has acquired the OBGYN.net website and related assets from MediSpecialty.com, Inc. for a total cash consideration of $0.8 million.
The Financial Times has announced the launch of the new FTChinese.com app for the Apple iPad.
MEN Media has announced that The Trafford Metro will relaunch as two new newspapers: The Sale & Altrincham Advertiser and The Stretford & Urmston Advertiser.
Trinity Mirror has announced that it has taken control of Fish4.
Wallpaper*, the international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, has launched its first iPad application, backed by Tudor Watches and featuring exclusive films from stage and screen legends David Lynch and Robert Wilson.
Musician Matthew Herbert is creating a concert which is the first of its kind to be inspired by a British newspaper.
Earlier this week, Archant Norfolk’s flagship title, the Eastern Daily Press, celebrated its 140th birthday. EDP arts correspondent, Ian Collins, takes a look back at its story.
The 3rd WAN-IFRA International E-Reading and Tablets Conference was held in Hamburg last week. Larry Kilman summarises the main talking points.
Following on from Vogue’s ‘Fashion’s Night Out’ in September, Vogue.com is to launch its digital equivalent, ‘Fashion’s Night In’, for the most stylish stay-at-home shopping experience ever.
The Financial Times has announced the launch of ‘Women at the Top’, a multi-platform initiative which will see extensive editorial coverage in the paper, on video and online, and a global conference celebrating the top 50 women in global business.
IPC Media’s web technology director Kelly Waters has announced the promotion of Simon Loxham to the role of product director, IPC Digital.
The Financial Times is running a multichannel series of arts coverage to celebrate its inaugural sponsorship of the prestigious Frieze Art Fair, which takes place between 14 and 17 October.
The Economist has announced that it will launch an iPad edition of Intelligent Life, its quarterly magazine covering life, culture and style.
