Swiss publisher sees gains in Germany and from premium digital subscriptions. Swiss media company NZZ increased its adjusted operating profit by 11 percent in 2024, driven by growth in digital subscriptions and higher revenue per user, particularly in its German expansion market. Total revenue for the year was 248.3 million Swiss francs ($287 million), down 1 percent on the previous year, largely due to reduced performance billing linked to an IT separation from CH Media. But the company’s digital business continued to grow, offsetting some of the wider structural challenges in print. User-derived revenue rose 2 percent to 114.9 million…

YouTube football presenter Adam Clery named creative director as publisher expands into personality-led video. The Independent has launched a new production unit, Independent Studio, in a bid to grow its presence in the creator economy and develop original content formats for sponsorship and audience growth. The UK-based digital publisher has appointed YouTube presenter Adam Clery as creative director. Clery, known for his work in football media, will lead with content for his new YouTube channel ACFC, which gained more than 30,000 subscribers in its first week. He will work closely with The Independent’s in-house production and promotional teams to expand…

News UK titles feel pressure of print decline but benefit from shift to subscriptions and cost-cutting. The latest financial results for The Times and The Sun show the pressures of declining print revenues but also signs of progress as both titles pivot toward digital. For the year ending 30 June 2024, News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, reported a 3% fall in revenue to £296.3 million and an operating loss of £18 million. The loss is nearly three-quarters lower than in previous years, helped by a sharp drop in legal costs related to phone-hacking claims. In January, NGN admitted…

Piers North, chief revenue officer, will succeed Mullen, who will join The Jockey Club as group chief executive. Jim Mullen has stepped down as chief executive of Reach with immediate effect after nearly six years in the role. He will be replaced by Piers North, the company’s chief revenue officer. Mullen will stay on briefly for a handover before starting a new job on 1 June as group chief executive of The Jockey Club. “I want to thank everyone at Reach for their hard work over these past nearly six years,” he said. “Together we have put the business in…

The partnership is aimed at enhancing the resilience of publishers in the evolving global media landscape. WAN-IFRA and FIPP, two of the most influential global media networks, have announced a new partnership to support publishers facing the pressures of digital transformation and shifting market conditions. The collaboration, unveiled last week, brings together more than 20,000 media brands and technology firms across 80 countries. It aims to offer a shared platform for knowledge exchange and best practice, with a focus on helping publishers improve commercial performance, editorial workflows and digital subscription strategies. Magazine and newspaper publishers – represented respectively by FIPP and…

No-paywall model and independence pitch help drive 33% jump in revenue. The Guardian US is on course to raise $44 million from reader donations in 2023 — a 33 per cent increase on the previous year — driven by political upheaval, strategic fundraising and a pitch for independence in a polarised media landscape. More than 60 per cent of the US operation’s revenue now comes from voluntary contributions. A single first-person story by a Canadian citizen detained by ICE brought in $105,000, underlining the power of compelling journalism to drive support. US editor Betsy Reed said the organisation’s appeal rests…

At the Digiday Publishing Summit, fluctuating referral traffic from tech giants was a key topic of conversation. At the Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, media executives voiced ongoing frustrations over the volatility of referral traffic from tech giants, with discussions revealing both sustained declines and some early signs of recovery. Referral traffic — particularly from Google and Meta — remained a key concern throughout the summit. According to Digiday, many publishers reported that despite ongoing investment in SEO and user engagement, social referral traffic in particular has yet to rebound meaningfully. “We haven’t seen a big recovery [in social…

Fast Company and Inc implement changes to their paywalls, restricting article access for non-subscribers as they adapt to shifting traffic patterns and revenue models. Fast Company and Inc have implemented significant changes to their paywalls, now restricting access to four daily articles exclusively for paying subscribers. This adjustment, part of a broader initiative by Mansueto Ventures, aims to enhance consumer revenue amid existing challenges with referral traffic from platforms like Google. Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, elaborated on the shift during the Digiday Publishing Summit held recently in Vail, Colorado. She highlighted the unpredictability of web traffic, stating, “The…

The WSJ video chief will join the news channel to shape its digital strategy. CNN has appointed Amanda Wills as its new chief content officer as part of a strategic initiative to adapt to the evolving media landscape beyond traditional television. Wills will start on April 14. Wills returns to CNN after a stint at The Wall Street Journal, where she held the position of chief content officer of video. In her new role, Wills will collaborate with the product team to develop and implement content strategies across the network’s television, digital and streaming platforms. She will report to Virginia…

The WSJ publisher has launched a customised news feed for users of the London Stock Exchange Group’s Workspace platform. Dow Jones has introduced a tailored news feed specifically for users of the London Stock Exchange Group’s Workspace financial data platform. The customised dashboard will feature news and data from prominent Dow Jones publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Market Watch and Investor’s Business Daily. The content displayed will be curated by a team of Dow Jones journalists who will select the top stories of the day to ensure relevance and timeliness for users. This launch marks Dow Jones’s first…