6:02 pm - March 17, 2026
The New York Times newsroom has grown by over 50% in a decade, marking ongoing success. Historical overexpansion at the Washington Post serves as a cautionary tale. Industry-wide decline and AI disruption suggest caution against large-scale staffing growth. This first appeared in our weekly newsletter Editor’s picks. Sign up…
Jamie Stockwell set to start as vice president of news at USA TODAY in March 2026 Will focus on impartial reporting, innovation, and expanding audience reach Brings extensive experience from The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Axios Local USA Today has appointed Jamie Stockwell as vice president of…
Notus recruits nine seasoned journalists including seven from The Washington Post Move highlights shifts in Washington’s media landscape with talent leaving traditional outlets Organisational rebrand plans suggest ambitions to rival established national newspapers The nonprofit political newsroom NOTUS has hired nine journalists, including seven from The Washington Post, in a…
Bonnier News’ profitability increased by 29% in 2025, driven by digital subscriptions Digital revenue now accounts for over 60% of total income, with nearly 500,000 digital subscribers The company anticipates a stronger year in 2026 with continued growth in readership and advertising Bonnier News ended 2025 with sharply improved profitability and continued growth in its subscription business, the Swedish media group said, positioning the company for what its chief executive expects will be a stronger 2026. The results highlight the steady shift toward reader revenue and digital products across the group’s portfolio of national and local titles. The publisher reported…
Traditional newsrooms are overwhelmed with extensive coverage for huge events Readers primarily seek perspective and education, not multiple updates News organisations should prioritise analysis and opinion to better serve digital audiences This is from our weekly Editor’s picks newsletter. Sign up for free here I did something I do very rarely this week: I turned on our television at home in the morning. The reason, unsurprisingly, was the war in Iran. My goal was to get up to date with all the latest news. And I did. If nothing else, rolling TV news stations are always quick on to…
ESPN hires six experienced journalists from The Washington Post amid industry reshuffle New recruits bolster ESPN’s investigative and long‑form sports coverage The move highlights the widening talent gap and strategic shifts after Post’s sports desk closure Five weeks after The Washington Post dismantled its sports desk, ESPN has hired six of the newspaper’s former reporters, a move that follows a similar mass hiring by The Athletic, which is part of The New York Times. The hires reflect a broader shift in sports journalism, as legacy newspapers shrink specialist desks while broadcasters and digital outlets invest in reporting capacity aimed at…
Axel Springer agrees to buy The Telegraph for £575 million, ending a lengthy sales process The deal marks the first time a German publisher owns the UK’s historically conservative newspaper Regulatory reviews are expected to scrutinise the impact on media plurality and foreign influence German publishing group Axel Springer has agreed a £575 million deal to acquire The Telegraph, a transaction that would bring an end to one of the longest-running sales processes in Fleet Street. The agreement, first reported by the Financial Times, effectively ends a rival bid from Daily Mail and General Trust and positions the German media…
Axel Springer acquires Bisnow, integrating it into Brew Media Group The deal aims to strengthen Axel Springer’s US B2B and event-led offerings Bisnow remains operationally independent with senior management intact Axel Springer has agreed to acquire Bisnow, adding the events and editorial business to a new US-focused division that will sit alongside Morning Brew. The deal underscores Axel Springer’s drive to expand its business-to-business footprint in the US, betting on events and specialist newsletters as more resilient revenue streams at a time when advertising markets remain volatile and AI is reshaping digital publishing. Bisnow will join Morning Brew Inc in…
Indian newsrooms focus on deploying AI for operational efficiency and editorial integrity Practical case studies highlight automation of routine tasks and fact-checking tools Industry emphasises responsible AI use, governance and safeguarding against manipulated content Leaders from India’s newsrooms joined international experts in Bengaluru last week for WAN-IFRA’s AI in Media…
Mediahuis reports marginal revenue growth of 2% in 2025, with a strategic shift from print to digital The company’s radio and online marketplace divisions experience notable expansion Stronger cash position enables further digital investments and cross-border acquisitions across Europe Mediahuis, the Belgium-based publisher which also has titles in the Netherland,…
Major UK news organisations launch SPUR to combat unauthorised AI training use Aim to establish licensing standards and secure fair compensation for original reporting Initiative underscores concerns over AI’s impact on journalism’s economic sustainability Some of Britain’s largest news organisations have launched a coalition to challenge the unauthorised use of…
Programme targets young media leaders across EMEA to foster responsible AI use in newsrooms 12-week, tuition-free initiative supported by Google News Initiative aims to narrow innovation gap Focus on skills development through real-world challenges, mentorship, and collaborative learning WAN-IFRA has unveiled the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a 12-week initiative to…
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The Washington Post faces over $100 million losses, prompting major layoffs. Costs have risen 16% while output has fallen 42%, highlighting financial strain. Leadership aims to reposition the newsroom as a distinctive, must-read outlet amid changing reader habits. The Washington Post lost more than $100 million last, following a $77…
Politico to launch in Australia, targeting policy professionals and political obsessives Moves into a market dominated by News Corp and Nine Entertainment with a premium, insider-focused model Aims to fill a gap in policy intelligence and deepen political coverage in the Australian context Politico will launch in Australia later this…
The Boston Globe halts daily print for the first time since 1872 due to a historic winter storm Disruption highlights the shifting economics towards digital news consumption Print subscribers will receive bundled editions as the industry faces weather-related vulnerabilities For the first time since its founding in 1872, The Boston…
John Mulholland brings decades of international editorial experience to the paper His appointment aims to enhance breaking coverage and long-form storytelling The outlet seeks to innovate tone, technique, and technology in local journalism Kevin Delaney, editor in chief of The San Francisco Standard, has appointed Fleet Street veteran John Mulholland…
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Lenore Taylor announces her departure after 13 years at Guardian Australia, including a decade as editor Under her leadership, the outlet became one of Australia’s most-read news sources, with major award wins A successor will be chosen through an open process, with David Munk serving as interim editor until then Lenore Taylor has announced she will step down from Guardian Australia after 13 years in senior roles that included a decade as the title’s editor, leaving the organisation she helped establish in 2013. Taylor joined Guardian Australia as a senior member of staff at its May 2013 launch and quickly…
The Athletic integrates more live blogs with video to keep audiences engaged and protect content from AI scraping. Human-led, in-the-moment coverage aims to provide a competitive edge over automated systems. The move coincides with major sporting events, testing the effectiveness of rapid multimedia storytelling. The Athletic is expanding its use of live blogs enriched with video as part of a broader effort to keep audiences on its own sites and to blunt the impact of automated content collection by AI systems. According to a report in Digiday, the move, timed to coincide with overlapping major sporting events this week, reflects…
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Adam Baidawi, aged 35, takes charge of GQ worldwide, overseeing US and international editions. His appointment reflects a drive for continuity and generational change at Condé Nast. Baidawi aims to redefine masculinity as modern, progressive, and aspirational. Condé Nast has named Adam Baidawi global editorial director of GQ, placing the 35-year-old editor in charge of the men’s title worldwide and extending a run of senior promotions from within the company. The appointment signals both continuity and generational change at the publisher, which has reshaped its top ranks in recent months while seeking to position its flagship brands for a more…
Apple is adding HLS-powered video support to treat video as a native podcast format The upgrade enables seamless switching between listening and watching, including offline viewing Dynamic video ads will open new monetisation opportunities for creators and advertisers Apple is embedding native video into Apple Podcasts, reshaping how publishers distribute and monetise shows inside one of the industry’s largest listening platforms. The update – now in beta across iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4 – treats video as a first-class format powered by HLS streaming rather than a bolt-on feature. Listeners will be able to switch between audio and…
The Guardian is launching a US-focused daily news podcast to strengthen its American presence. The programme, debuting later this year, is co-hosted by Kai Wright and Carter Sherman. It marks a major step in The Guardian’s push into audio and video journalism in the US. The Guardian is preparing to launch a US-focused daily news podcast, expanding its American operation and moving into more direct competition with The New York Times and NPR. The story was first reported by Semafor. The move marks a significant shift for the British publisher as it deepens its investment in the US and pushes…
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy orders investigations into the Telegraph sale by DMGT Concerns raised over media monopoly and diversity of views in UK press Ofcom and CMA to report by June 10 on potential impact of the merger Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has formally intervened in the proposed £500 million acquisition of The Telegraph by the owners of the Daily Mail, citing significant concerns regarding media freedom and market competition. The deal, struck in November by Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), would see the broadsheet join a stable that already includes the Daily Mail, The Metro, the i, and…
The Independent appoints Barney Henderson as UK editor and Jacqui Merrington as executive editor These hires mark a strategic move to strengthen digital and editorial innovation The publication reports significant growth in UK and US digital audiences in 2025 The Independent has strengthened its senior editorial team with the appointments of Barney Henderson as UK editor and Jacqui Merrington as executive editor, the title announced on Wednesday. Henderson joins from Newsweek, where he served as director of publishing & subscriptions strategy and ran that title’s breaking-news operation, a role that also involved shaping subscription plans. His earlier posts include assistant…
Discord to treat all accounts as teens by default unless verified* Verification options include AI selfie estimates and ID documents* Platform faces privacy backlash and debates over data security and safety measures Discord will treat almost every account as a teen profile from early March unless users complete age verification — the latest example of social platforms enforcing age restrictions under mounting regulatory pressure. As governments demand tougher child-safety controls, platforms are shifting from optional safeguards to default restrictions, testing how far users will accept biometric scans or ID checks in exchange for access. Under the new policy, unverified users…
Fake Facebook pages impersonate New Zealand news outlets, misleading the public with fabricated visuals Synthetic images linked to disasters and political campaigns raise legal and ethical concerns Experts warn about the increasing sophistication and reach of AI-generated misinformation across social media A growing network of Facebook pages masquerading as New Zealand news outlets is flooding social media with AI-generated images and videos that distort genuine reporting, according to an investigation. The accounts lift copy from established mastheads and attach computer-generated visuals or lightly rewritten text. While the examples uncovered are New Zealand-specific, researchers and fact-checkers say the same pattern is…
Internal upheaval culminates in Lewis’s resignation Massive layoffs spark criticism and staff protests Jeff D’Onofrio steps in to stabilise the iconic newspaper Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, abruptly resigned Saturday evening, ending a tumultuous two-year tenure just days after presiding over one of the largest newsroom staff reductions in the publication’s history. His departure was announced in a brief, two-paragraph internal email to staff that lacked a subject line. In the note, Lewis characterised his time at the paper as “two years of transformation” and stated that “now is the right time for me to…
Desks affected include international, sports, books and pictures Moves cited as strategic reset driven by declining search traffic and AI impact Critics fear cuts will diminish coverage of foreign affairs and local issues The Washington Post is eliminating roughly a third of its newsroom in a restructuring that will close the sports section and books desk, suspend the paper’s flagship podcast and sharply reduce foreign and metro reporting. The cuts, announced to staff by executive editor Matt Murray, include the dismissal of the entire Middle East team, senior foreign and Asia editors and correspondents covering China, Iran and Turkey. Murray…
YouTube aims to transform creators into full-scale production houses by 2026 The platform is enhancing commerce features and integrating AI tools to boost revenue Safeguards and parental controls are being strengthened to protect younger audiences YouTube is doubling down on a strategy that increasingly places it in direct competition with news publishers and broadcasters, positioning creators as full-scale production operations while expanding commerce and artificial intelligence across the platform. In his 2026 priorities letter, YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan outlined what the company describes as its next phase of growth: treating top creators less like hobbyists and more like studios,…
