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.
Some brands transcend the hurly-burly of everyday commercial life to reach deep into the soul of the consumer. Establishing this powerful emotional connection is the Holy Grail for marketing departments across industry. One sector which is closer to
The advent and rapid adoption of Web 2.0 functionality is ratcheting up the pressure on publishers. Limp, lack-lustre, one dimensional sites no longer cut it (if indeed they ever did), and publishers need to raise their sights to meet the challenges
Mobile is huge. I know, I know, you knew that already. But, as far as the publishing sector is concerned, mobile still represents largely untapped potential. As an industry, we’ve barely dipped our toe in the water. What is stopping us leaping in? Ra
What’s the secret of online success? Sexy bells and whistles or simple clear solutions to customer needs? I think you know the answer. And the best way to get there is to put the customer at the centre of your planning and design processes. If you ca
Is your site a little old hat? A bit one-way in this increasingly two-way world? Well, if so, you’re not alone, but the trick is to do something about it. Start by being fully aware of the opportunities presented by Web 2.0 and then create a wish lis
The ability to track and analyse user behaviour is one of the defining characteristics of the web. In theory, this knowledge allows site owners to tailor their content to each individual user. Patrick Dye looks at what is possible, what is desirable
On 26th June 2007, the Specialised Information Publishers Association held its 13th annual conference, at the Grange City Hotel in London. The event’s best ever attendance listened to a full programme of presentations and participated in a range of i
No one likes waste, but the need for availability and the commercial pressures caused by falling sales means that some returns are inevitable. The question is, says Andrea Kirkby, to what extent the intelligent use of systems and local knowledge can
You might be forgiven for taking the view that charging for content was a bit of a non-starter nowadays, what with so much being given away for free. But, says Michael Upshall, many sites are showing that, with a little imagination and lateral thinki
Probably every publisher does it – email marketing that is – though few could claim to do it well. The rise of the spam filter, and publishers’ continuing inability to properly integrate and manage their data sources is resulting in diminishing effec
Love them or loathe them, trade shows are an inescapable part of any industry landscape. Naturally, visitors, vendors and organisers all approach these events from different angles and with different expectations. David Owen gives us his views on wha
On the face of it, the outlook for newspapers is little different now to what it was three or four years ago. Circulations were declining then, and they still declining now. Yet the mood in the industry is different. Wild eyed panic has been replaced
MEN Media Group has been at the forefront of multi platform publishing for some time now. Mark Rix explains why the core strategy of convergence has been vigorously pursued throughout the organisation.
The first sight of an all singing, all dancing digital edition is a truly memorable experience. The pages turn, you can zoom in and out, place your electronic bookmarks, play audio clips and look at video, all from what is unmistakably a magazine. Fu
Each year, the Newspaper Society’s Circulation, Editorial & Promotions Awards recognises the most innovative and successful promotional campaigns from across the regional press. Austen Dack has trawled through this year’s entries and here highlights
