WAN-IFRA and FIPP to unify in 2026, representing over 20,000 media brands worldwide The merger aims to strengthen independent journalism and adapt to digital challenges Combined organisation will facilitate knowledge sharing and advocacy for media rights WAN-IFRA and FIPP will merge on 1 January 2026, creating the largest and most diverse alliance of media companies worldwide. Representing more than 20,000 media brands and technology enterprises across 120 countries, the deal see representative bodies of news and magazine publishers coming together at a time of unprecedented challenges for both sectors. As distinctions between news and magazine publishing fade, the organisations…

Major regional and long-standing titles adopt paywalls to secure revenue Industry acknowledges that reliance on digital ads alone is unsustainable Success depends on refining reader journeys, data use and operational discipline The past fortnight brought two announcements that should make every senior news executive pause. Reach plc is introducing a part-paywall on the Manchester Evening News, one of the country’s largest regional titles, and The Observer, a paper with more than two centuries of history, has launched its first digital paywall. While they are entirely independent decisions, together they signal a broader shift. They reflect the moment when publishers…

Industry leaders emphasise the urgent need to adapt to fast-paced shifts driven by AI and creator integration Traditional media must adopt new skills and operational models around niche content, podcasts and events Strong leadership behaviours are essential to navigate the upheaval and prevent a potential crisis in news organisations When it came to the switch from print to digital, the news media spent a long time pretending that it wasn’t really happening and carried on much as it had always done. Partly this was the result of the decline of print being slow and, for a long time, profitable.…

Google rolls out its most advanced AI model, Gemini 3, into search features in the US Enhances complex query handling with richer, multimodal and interactive responses Subscribers of Google AI Ultra gain access to the most powerful capabilities, including agentic workflows Google has begun rolling out Gemini 3, its most advanced AI model, across parts of Google Search. The move brings a substantial boost to AI Overviews and AI Mode, with a model widely hailed as a match for ChatGPT’s latest generation and expected to close a long-standing quality gap in Google’s search-embedded AI. The update signals a push to…

DMGT to acquire The Telegraph in a £500 million deal, creating a dominant right-leaning media group The UK government’s Foreign State Influence rules played a key role in blocking foreign investment Acquisition prompts expectations of regulatory scrutiny and aims to boost conservative media influence The owner of the Daily Mail, DMGT (Daily Mail and General Trust), has agreed a £500 million ($650 million) deal to acquire the Telegraph, in a move that would create one of the most powerful right-leaning media groups in the UK. The agreement follows the withdrawal of US-based private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which had…

Emma Tucker appoints Aja Whitaker-Moore and David Crow as deputy editors in chief Dan Colarusso joins as coverage chief for business, finance and economics Moves aim to modernise newsroom and enhance reporting, including AI integration The Wall Street Journal is reshaping its senior leadership, adding two deputy editors in chief and a new coverage chief for business, finance and economics. The moves signal a push to modernise the newsroom and strengthen reporting across its desks. In a staff note, editor in chief Emma Tucker said Aja Whitaker-Moore will join the Journal as deputy editor in chief, while current executive editor…

BBC tests dozens of AI projects to optimise content production and expand formats Focus on AI to support journalists, improve localisation, and enhance audience engagement Emphasis on ethical AI use and leveraging trusted journalism amidst tech rivalry BBC News is testing dozens of artificial intelligence pilots as it looks to speed up production, repackage content and create new formats without compromising its public service remit. The work is being led by Olle Zacharison, head of News AI, who spoke about the corporation’s approach on the Newsroom Robots podcast. At the heart of the strategy is a push to understand where…

The Digital Omnibus aims to simplify digital rules to boost European start-ups and AI innovation Critics warn it could undermine digital rights and weaken privacy protections Legislation seeks to balance regulatory easing with maintaining EU’s high digital standards The European Commission is preparing to unveil its long-awaited legislative package designed to simplify the bloc’s digital rulebook, ease regulatory burdens on businesses and help European start-ups compete in the global race to develop artificial intelligence. Branded the Digital Omnibus, the initiative seeks to streamline and harmonise multiple overlapping laws – from GDPR and the AI Act to the e-Privacy Directive and…

RedBird Capital withdraws from £500m bid for Telegraph Media Group Concerns over foreign influence and newsroom tensions cited as reasons Future ownership remains uncertain amid political and regulatory scrutiny The future of the Daily Telegraph has been thrown back into turmoil after RedBird Capital Partners abandoned its planned £500m takeover of the title. As first reported by Mark Kleinman at Sky News, RedBird and its Abu Dhabi-based investment partner International Media Investments (IMI) have formally withdrawn their offer to buy Telegraph Media Group, ending months of speculation over a deal that had divided Westminster, the media industry and even…

What happened when ChatGPT interviewed a human expert about a project where the human expert used AI agents to replicate the contributions of 1,000 people about the potential uses of AI in journalism… Prompt (ChatGPT 5 Thinking mode) You are an expert journalist who is particularly skilled at interviewing. You focus on transformative technology and are unusually thoughtful and strategic in your approach to interviews about deeply disruptive technologies. You prepare comprehensively for every interview, and you are skilled at progressing through the interview using a combination of penetrating questions developed from your preparation and on-the-spot responses to the interviewee’s…