Media24’s transformation into a digital-first publisher has gathered pace under the leadership of Jerusha Raath, who returned to the company in late 2024 as publisher of News24. With a background that blends editorial experience and commercial strategy, Raath has quickly become the driving force behind the group’s reinvention. Speaking to Mark Challinor as part of his News Horizons series in The Drum, Raath described 2025 as a pivotal year for Media24. Innovations launched under her tenure include a “Good News desk” designed to counter negative news fatigue. It had already attracted more than 600,000 page views by mid-July. A disinformation…

Martin Lewis, the man behind the UK price comparison website MoneySavingExpert, has accused news publishers of misleading readers and undermining journalism by publishing clickbait articles that twist or fabricate his advice. Speaking to London Centric, Lewis, who regularly tops polls about who the British public would like to see as prime minister, described how his name and opinions is routinely misused by online news sites even when he has said nothing on a topic. “I haven’t spoken about air fryers in two years but I keep reading news reports about ‘urgent warnings’ I’ve given about air fryers,” he said. “It’s…

Republicans are increasingly relying on social media platforms, while Democrats’ confidence in these sources wanes, according to a new YouGov survey. A widening partisan gap in how Americans consume and trust news is emerging, with new polling showing Republicans increasingly turning to social media platforms such as X and Truth Social, while Democrats grow more sceptical of the same channels. A YouGov survey released this week highlights the deepening divide. While television remains a major source of news across the political spectrum, social media now plays a central role for many, particularly among Republicans. Nearly half of all respondents said…

Users turned to AI chatbots like Grok, ChatGPT and Gemini for fact-checking, only to encounter frequent inaccuracies. A four-day flare-up between India and Pakistan has exposed the limitations of AI chatbots as tools for verifying information in real time. As images and videos flooded social media, users across both countries increasingly turned to platforms like xAI’s Grok, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini for answers. Instead, many were met with confusion, errors and even fabricated claims. On X (formerly Twitter), queries such as “Hey @Grok, is this true?” became common as people sought instant fact-checks for fast-moving developments. But the bots…

The Poynter Institute’s new programme aims to rebuild trust in AI-driven journalism amid audience scepticism. As newsrooms rush to adopt artificial intelligence to streamline workflows and enhance reporting, many of their audiences remain deeply uneasy about the technology’s growing role. That disconnect presents a serious challenge for trust in journalism and has prompted the Poynter Institute to develop a new resource aimed at bridging the gap. The Talking About AI: Newsroom Toolkit is designed to help journalists speak more clearly and confidently about how they use AI in their work. Backed by Microsoft and developed with The Associated Press, the…

Broadsheet Media is set to debut its first international edition in London in September 2025,. Broadsheet Media, the independent Australian publisher known for its curated city guides and cultural journalism, is stepping onto the global stage with a new London edition and a slate of high-profile hires to lead the charge. The expansion is the company’s first major international move since its founding in Melbourne in 2009. Broadsheet has since built a loyal following across Australia with editions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. It is known for its distinctive tone, tight curation and focus on food, design, fashion…

Ole Jacob Sunde, chairman of Schibsted, emphasises the urgent need for media companies to balance long-term sustainability with a culture of innovation and risk-taking. The evolving media landscape demands both financial resilience and a culture that embraces change, according to Ole Jacob Sunde, chairman of Schibsted Media and the Tinius Trust. In an article reflecting on recent transformations at Schibsted, Sunde argues that the survival of quality journalism depends not only on independence from short-term profit demands, but also on the courage to experiment and invest in new models. “Journalism costs money,” he wrote. “Schibsted and the media houses must…

The editorial teams of the Irish Examiner and The Echo are being consolidated amid ongoing industry challenges and declining print revenues. The editorial teams of the Irish Examiner and The Echo are to be merged under a single editor. Both titles are owned by the Irish Times, which bought them from Landmark Media Group in 2018. At the time, it pledged to consolidate operations while maintaining their distinct editorial identities. Karen O’Donoghue, managing director of both papers, said the merger would support better teamwork, faster decision-making and stronger engagement with target audiences – all with a view to boosting revenue…

After 16 years as a vibrant online platform, Tablet magazine is launching a high-end monthly print edition. Tablet, the sharp-tongued online magazine that has built a loyal audience over 16 years, is launching a print edition in a move that bucks the digital-only trend sweeping the media industry. Editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse says the new monthly will offer readers a more tactile, deliberate experience, “a sense of humanity and passion” in contrast to what she sees as the sterile outputs of mainstream media. Launching next week, the first edition will cost $40 and feature original long-form reporting, photo essays and exclusive…

A €1.4 million grant programme backed by the EU and King Baudouin Foundation is supporting local and investigative news outlets across Europe. A new €1.4 million grant programme is aiming to revitalise local and investigative journalism across Europe, with a particular focus on under-served regions often described as “news deserts”. Backed by the European Union and the King Baudouin Foundation, the initiative is being run by Journalismfund Europe and International Media Support, and is open to local, regional and community media outlets struggling with declining revenues and shrinking newsrooms. The Pluralistic Media for Democracy programme is offering nearly 40 grants…