6:28 am - September 9, 2026
B2B publishers excel in redefining their value propositions and embracing change Bold pivots, like Euromoney’s shift from journalism to intelligence services, highlight adaptability AI is viewed as an asset rather than a threat, used to enhance specialised content and customer experience There is a lot to learn from B2B…
Berkshire increases stake in The New York Times to $1.1 billion Rising digital subscriptions and advertising boost publisher’s performance Investment signals confidence in media’s digital transition and subscription model Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has continued to build its position in The New York Times, extending a bet on legacy media…
Macron advocates for a unified European ban on social media use for children under 15 The EU aims to deploy a privacy-respecting age verification app by 2026 Critics highlight challenges in rolling out secure and effective age checks across member states French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for an EU-wide…
Byron Allen cuts 35% of BuzzFeed’s workforce to improve profitability Restructuring aims to shift focus towards streaming via Local Now Company plans significant cost savings and content realignment Byron Allen has begun a sharp overhaul of BuzzFeed, cutting about 180 jobs and contract roles across BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Tasty in what amounts to roughly 35% of the workforce. The reductions, disclosed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, are the first major restructuring since Allen’s family office took control of the digital publisher in May. BuzzFeed said the move is designed to simplify operations, lower costs and…
Highlights the importance of integrating AI in newsrooms to foster meaningful change Emphasises the need for journalists and managers to view AI as a tool for value creation Warns of cultural hurdles and stress on verifying information in the AI era Need some summer reading? This week’s newsletter comes in the form of a book review. Not perhaps a suggestion for the sun lounger, but nevertheless one that every journalist should read. It’s called AI in the News Room and it was written by Martin Schori, former head of the AI Hub at Aftonbladet in Stockholm and now the…
Berlin-based startup Beatsquares raises $2 million in seed funding to enhance its AI platform The platform converts editorial content into multiple formats across digital channels Funding will support team expansion and international growth efforts Berlin-based AI startup Beatsquares has raised $2 million (about €1.8 million) in seed funding to expand its platform for automatically repurposing editorial content across multiple digital channels. The round was co-led by IBB Ventures and XTR Capital, with participation from ddvg, Dutch media investor V-Ventures and a group of business angels. It follows a $500,000 pre-seed investment secured in late 2024. Founded in 2024, Beatsquares aims…
Suggestion for industry-focused ‘Festival of Failure’ to promote open discussion of setbacks Critique of current journalism events highlighting repetition and lack of actionable takeaways Advocates for shorter days, more networking, and panels focused on failures to foster growth and innovation “I want to start an uncomfortable conversation: Are there too many journalism events?” So said Marcela Kunova, the owner and operator of journalism.co.uk (JUK), last week. She continued: “I just looked at my agenda and JUK events calendar. It’s gone out of hand. Conferences, festivals, summits, workshops, talks, congresses, study tours, awards. Dozens of great events are clustered between April…
Disney-owned 20th Television partners with Vox Media Studios to develop scripted and unscripted projects Focus on adapting journalism and podcasts from Vox Media brands for Disney+ and other outlets Partnership reflects industry trend of transforming established media content into premium streaming entertainment Disney-owned 20th Television has struck a multi-year first-look agreement with Vox Media Studios, broadening a relationship that will give both companies room to develop scripted and unscripted projects built around Vox Media’s reporting and podcast brands. The deal is expected to feed into Disney Entertainment Television outlets including Disney+, with a particular emphasis on adapting material from New…
Media Concierge Group posts £12.9m EBITDA for first full period post-acquisition Integration of National World (now Iconic Media Group) has gone smoothly, boosting performance Company aims to strengthen local titles while expanding its UK and Ireland publishing footprint Media Concierge Group has said the integration of National World has gone…
Economist launches Economist Play, a $15/month multimedia bundle combining videos, podcasts, and newsletters Strategy aims to reach a younger, gender-balanced audience with mobile-first content Emphasis on newsroom authenticity through faces and voices, moving away from anonymity The Economist has launched a lower-cost subscription bundle built around audio and video, in…
Data shows games and interactive content drive deeper user loyalty. Publishers are overestimating the importance of breaking news for app retention. Investment should focus on habit-forming features to reduce churn and build routines. I used to bristle when I worked at The Sunday Times and a friend said he had…
Der Spiegel refuses to let AI write or rewrite its articles, citing responsibility and trust. Industry faces tension between efficiency and accountability in adopting AI tools. Growing concerns over accuracy, transparency, and the future role of human journalists. Whether journalists should use artificial intelligence to write stories has become one…
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Getty Images strikes a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI The partnership enhances ChatGPT’s image relevance and trustworthiness Shares rise as Getty aims to monetise its archive amid AI-driven disruption Getty Images has struck a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI that will allow its pictures to appear in ChatGPT’s search and…
Complaint alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used nearly 400 newspapers’ reporting without permission Case marks the largest coordinated legal action by local news publishers on AI training issues Suit aims to protect local journalism and challenge the use of copyrighted material in AI development A coalition of local newspaper publishers…
Forbes launches Forbes Creator to leverage social media personalities New platform combines journalistic content with creator autonomy Aims to expand reach, diversify content, and develop commercial opportunities Forbes is deepening its push into creator-led distribution, using social media personalities and specialist voices to widen its reach beyond its own platforms…
Social media and video now the primary news sources globally Trust in news drops to a historic low of 37%, with Americans trusting only 25% News organisations face the challenge of rebuilding trust amidst AI content proliferation Forget the World Cup, for news nerds this week has brought unbridled excitement…
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A debate in Lexington underscores tensions between traditional reporting and AI-assisted news The Kentucky Lantern champions human-made journalism, while Lexington Times utilises AI for coverage The dispute reflects broader challenges facing shrinking local news ecosystems across the US A small but telling dispute in Lexington, Kentucky, has opened a wider argument about the future of local journalism, especially the role of artificial intelligence in newsrooms that are trying to survive with fewer staff and thinner budgets. The spark came when Linda Blackford, editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Lantern, wrote about AI and journalism and stressed that the Lantern’s work is produced…
Bonnier News poised to become majority owner of Irish media group after partnership expansion Deal under review by regulators, with new leadership and board structure upcoming Business Post Group cites significant financial recovery and growth prospects Swedish publisher Bonnier News is set to become the majority owner of Business Post Group, in a deal that will leave founder Enda O’Coineen with a significant minority stake through his Kilcullen Family Office. The transaction marks a further step in a relationship that began in 2023, when Bonnier took a minority equity position in the Irish company. It still requires approval from the…
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Rainer Esser asserts AI will enhance journalism’s value by emphasising human connection Calls for news organisations to recognise their worth and partner confidently with tech giants Personal storytelling highlights irreplaceable human element in investigative journalism If you’re invited to speak at a conference, you really don’t want a slot at the end of the day when delegates’ energy has dropped and the darkness of the auditorium becomes soporific. Even worse is to be the last speaker in the last session on the last day. At WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress in Marseille this week that poisoned chalice fell to Rainer…
The Times adopts a specialised, multi-team approach to video content production Video is now a distinct editorial discipline, not just repurposed print stories Distribution strategies evolve with dedicated platforms like the new ‘Watch’ tab At WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress in Marseille, Solana Pyne, video director at The New York Times, argued that the traditional distinction between readers, listeners and viewers no longer reflects how audiences consume news. The shift is reshaping how newsrooms organise themselves. As audiences move more fluidly between text, audio and video, publishers are increasingly treating video not as a way to support written journalism but…
CMA mandates tools for publishers to restrict AI training on their content Clearer attribution and control options for AI-generated search results Google given nine months to comply with new regulations Britain’s competition watchdog has ordered Google to give publishers greater control over how their material is used in the company’s AI-powered search products, in a move it described as a world first. The Competition and Markets Authority said publishers will have to be given practical tools to stop their content being used to support Google’s generative AI services, including AI Overviews and AI Mode, for users in the UK. It…
Former National World executives introduce Profenx, blending AI tools with creator-led content Company develops a platform to enhance digital content economics and expand through licensing and acquisitions Backed by Jaipur Capital, Profenx aims to reshape publishing with innovative models across global markets A group of former National World executives has launched Profenx, a new media technology company that aims to combine AI-driven publishing tools with creator-led content businesses. The launch comes as publishers grapple with declining search traffic, pressure on advertising revenues and the rapid growth of independent creators. Profenx is positioning itself between those worlds, arguing that established publishers’…
Simon Robinson, currently a Reuters executive, to lead ABC News in September First external hire for the role in decades amid leadership reshuffle Broadcaster seeks to rejuvenate its journalistic output amid ongoing transition Australia’s ABC has chosen Reuters executive Simon Robinson as its new director of news and current affairs, ending days of speculation after the broadcaster’s surprise leadership change. Robinson, currently deputy to Reuters’ editor-in-chief, will take up the post in September. The ABC said he would become its next Director of News and Current Affairs, and described the appointment as the first external hire for the role in…
CNN sues Perplexity AI over copyright violations OpenAI publishes governance framework aligned with new regulations State versus federal fights intensify over AI regulation jurisdiction Three developments last week underscored how fragmented AI governance has become: CNN sued Perplexity AI over alleged copying of its journalism; OpenAI published a governance framework tied to emerging EU and California rules; and the legal battle over state AI regulation in the US continued to intensify. The disputes show AI policy evolving on multiple fronts at once. Copyright enforcement, safety disclosure requirements and constitutional fights over state regulation are advancing separately, forcing AI companies to…
The Vatican’s encyclical calls for AI regulation based on law, oversight and human judgement Pope warns against autonomous weapons, worker displacement and AI-driven conflict Emphasises the importance of moral language in global AI governance debates Pope Leo XIV has thrust the Vatican into the centre of the global debate over artificial intelligence, using his first encyclical to argue that the technology must be governed by law, oversight and human judgement rather than left to market forces or military competition. Entitled Magnifica humanitas — “Magnificent Humanity” — the document presents AI as one of the defining moral questions of the age.…
Bezos defends the profitability of journalism as a measure of relevance Changes in Google search algorithms threaten traditional news revenue To succeed, news organisations must focus on delivering value and distinctive reporting Jeff Bezos sometimes makes agreeing with him very difficult. This was the case earlier this week when he said in an interview with CNBC that President Donald Trump was “more mature” in his second term than his first and that Amazon’s commission of the Melania documentary was in no way whatsoever an attempt at “buying influence”. It is profoundly depressing that one of the features of this…
Podcasting is evolving beyond audio-only formats to include video and personality-led shows. Major outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian expand video content to reach new audiences. Monetisation models are diversifying with increased focus on advertising, subscriptions, and creator-led enterprises. News podcasting is moving decisively beyond the old audio-only model, with video, personality-led chat shows and creator-style distribution reshaping how publishers make, package and monetise their work, according to a new Reuters Institute report by Nic Newman. The study, The Changing Shape and New Economics of News Podcasting, argues that the medium is being pulled into a broader…
James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems to take ownership of Vox Media assets Vox to be split into two separate companies, with distinct portfolios Deal valued at over $300 million, aiming to boost valuation through segmentation James Murdoch has completed the purchase of a sizeable chunk of Vox Media in a deal that splits the digital publisher into two separate companies. According to a statement from Vox Media, Lupa Systems, the investment firm controlled by Murdoch, has taken ownership of Vox, New York magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. The assets will operate as a new company under Lupa ownership, while…
