The Daily Mail surpasses 400,000 digital subscribers less than two years after launch Growth driven by expansion into US and Australia, and simplified global branding Targets one million subscribers by 2028, buoyed by strong interest in high-quality journalism The Daily Mail has passed 400,000 digital subscribers for its Mail+ service, less than two years after launch , a signal that one of the world’s largest free news brands is gaining traction with a paid model. The milestone shows that a tabloid publisher long associated with mass free reach can convert a meaningful slice of its audience into paying readers, strengthening…

Publishers are shifting focus towards events and video for growth Subscription importance softens despite absolute gains AI presents both challenges and opportunities for monetisation Publishers are reshaping their business models as economic uncertainty and AI-driven changes to search alter how revenue is generated, according to Digiday’s third annual revenue report. The findings show a clear shift away from reliance on single income streams towards diversified, audience-led strategies — with events and video emerging as key growth areas even as advertising remains dominant. Drawing on a survey of 56 publishing professionals and interviews with executives at Condé Nast, Dow Jones, Forbes…

The industry faces existential questions about purpose and value Traditional notions of a “paper of record” are increasingly outdated Successful organisations will innovatively redefine their role and revenue streams This first appeared in our weekly newsletter Editor’s picks. Sign up here I’ve been turning to existential questions in recent days. Why are we here? What are we doing? Who will miss us when we’re gone? To be clear, I’m not asking these questions about the human race – though they feel more apposite at the moment – but news providers. I think my introspection has come because I’ve been…

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman urges tech firms to focus on hiring recent graduates skilled in AI Industry leaders see young, AI-native workers as vital for future innovation and leadership Despite automation trends, companies emphasise the importance of training entry-level staff for long-term success Steve Huffman wants companies to stop overlooking recent graduates — and start hiring them for their fluency with artificial intelligence. The Reddit chief executive argues that a cohort raised alongside large language models offers a competitive advantage, at a time when companies are reworking products and workflows around AI. His view reflects a wider shift in Silicon…

Highlights the importance of audience teams in newsrooms Critiques their ongoing marginalisation despite proven value Advocates for promoting audience specialists to leadership roles This first appeared in our weekly newsletter Editor’s picks. Sign up here I have long believed that op-ed columnists should be given five years in the job and then be sent out to pasture or other assignments. My experience is that after that long in the job – and to be honest, probably sooner – they aren’t saying anything new. The necessity of producing a cogent argument on a topic 40-plus weeks a year means they…

Dow Jones aims for $1bn in annual earnings within five years amid shift to digital and AI-driven products The segment’s revenue now 82% digital, with a focus on subscriptions and data services Growth driven by AI licensing, risk and energy intelligence, and enterprise news News Corp said Dow Jones, the parent of the Wall Street Journal, could generate $1bn in annual earnings within five years, as the company shifts further towards digital subscriptions and professional data products. The target, presented at an investor briefing on March 16, implies growth of about 70 per cent from fiscal 2025 levels and caps…

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 here Food portions, the economy, TVs, apartment blocks, wars and people – a week in New York has reminded me that America just keeps getting bigger. You could add the New York Times to that list. This week AG Sulzberger, its publisher, revealed that its newsroom has now grown to…

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…

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…

News Corp’s CEO outlines a strategy combining licensing and litigation to protect journalism content The company has secured multi-million dollar deals with tech giants like Meta and OpenAI for AI training data Thomson emphasises the importance of reliable news sources for AI development and warns against unauthorised use News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson has set out a blunt approach to AI companies seeking to use the publisher’s journalism as training data – “a woo and a sue”. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley media conference, Thomson described a strategy that mixes commercial partnerships with legal enforcement. “We’d like you to…