12:02 am - April 12, 2026
The Daily Beast reports double-digit subscriber growth and over 100,000 paying users in early 2026 The publisher now views subscriptions as the core revenue model, moving away from advertising dependency Diversified approach includes subscriptions via website, Substack, and YouTube, aiming for long-term stability The Daily Beast is recasting subscriptions as…
The Globe’s Power Play is a twice-weekly, subscriber-only newsletter focused on local business and political forces. It aims to deliver quick, analysis-driven updates on Massachusetts commerce and policy. The newsletter complements existing Globe coverage, with a focus on insider insights and industry trends. The Boston Globe is introducing a subscriber-only…
INMA’s new report reveals a three-pronged AI user journey approach for publishers Emphasis on structured content, audience loyalty, and first-party data in adapting to AI Industry urged to redesign journalism for fragmented, automated audience interactions The International News Media Association (INMA) has set out a framework for publishers trying to…
The Wall Street Journal uses TikTok to engage younger readers Emphasises exclusivity, authenticity, and verification in social videos Aims to reinforce subscriptions and attract new audiences through social-first storytelling The Wall Street Journal is stepping up efforts to reach younger audiences on TikTok, using short-form video to extend its journalism beyond traditional platforms and funnel users towards subscriptions. For many publishers, social video is no longer just a marketing channel but a core part of audience development, particularly as younger consumers turn to platforms such as TikTok for news. Kelcie Pegher, the Journal’s social strategy editor, said in an article…
The Aga Khan Development Network ends a 66-year association with Nation Media Group, selling its controlling stake. Tanzanian businessman Rostam Azizi plans to expand digital and revenue initiatives within the media conglomerate. Market reacts positively, with shares surging over 28% after the announcement. The Aga Khan Development Network is relinquishing its controlling interest in Nation Media Group, formally ending a 66‑year association as the Swiss‑based development investor pivots capital towards sectors it regards as higher growth and more directly measurable in development terms. Under an agreement announced in March, Taarifa Ltd, a vehicle owned by Tanzanian businessman Rostam Azizi, will…
nd moves its daily edition exclusively online from April 2026, while keeping a weekly print issue. The shift responds to falling print sales and rising production costs, emphasizing innovation and reader support. The cooperative ownership model aims to preserve editorial independence amid industry consolidation. The small German newspaper nd will stop printing weekday editions from this month moving its daily journalism online while keeping a weekly paper, a move that underlines the economic strain on print and the growing urgency of digital transition among European publishers. In the wake of Die Tagezeitung’s (taz) decision to end weekday printing last October,…
Jonathan Greenberger to lead Politico from 1 May, focusing on expanding its reach Shift in leadership aims to enhance reporting speed and technological infrastructure Politico continues to diversify with new hires in audio, video, and Capitol Hill coverage Jonathan Greenberger will become Politico’s editor-in-chief on May 1, marking a shift in the US political news outlet’s leadership as it looks to expand its reach across platforms and markets. Greenberger, a former television news executive, joined Politico in April 2024 as executive vice-president after nearly a decade leading ABC News’ Washington bureau. There he oversaw political coverage and served as an…
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…
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…
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…
Teenage use of TikTok and Snapchat declines but persists in some groups Platforms remove millions of underage accounts but face enforcement hurdles International interest grows as Australia’s approach influences other countries’ policies Two months after Australia introduced the world’s first nationwide ban preventing under-16s from holding accounts on major social…
Top stories
Investigative journalist Julia Angwin sues Grammarly over unauthorised use of her name in AI tool The case questions whether AI companies need explicit licences for referencing real individuals The lawsuit highlights broader concerns about transparency, consent, and attribution in AI practices A proposed class action in Manhattan federal court accuses…
Over 1.5 million research papers processed with AI in 2025, with a 25% forecasted increase in 2026 Springer Nature’s Snapp platform integrates AI tools to streamline manuscript handling and reviewer management The publisher balances efficiency with human oversight, ensuring transparency and research integrity Springer Nature says it processed more than…
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…
Gen Z remains the primary audience for TikTok but shows signs of waning trust Users nostalgic for earlier, less commercial days and more cautious about content Creators and users increasingly turn to alternatives like YouTube amidst TikTok’s shift towards commerce TikTok remains the platform Gen Z turns to most often…
Deep dive with
our insights
Steve Grove discusses the decline of traditional local newspapers amid rising citizen reporting The Star Tribune adapts through digital innovation, risking operational cuts Signs of growth emerge through increased online subscriptions despite funding challenges Sometimes the context around a conversation reshapes its meaning. That was evident at last Friday’s Good Leadership Breakfast when Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, addressed a room grappling with unrest and uncertainty in local media. Grove — whose career includes senior roles at Google and YouTube and a stint as Minnesota’s commissioner of employment and economic development — has written about…
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 journalism by AI developers. Leaders of the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group have signed an open letter announcing SPUR , Standards for Publisher Usage Rights. The group says it will press for clearer rules and compensation when original reporting is used to train artificial intelligence…
All stories
The New York Times develops bespoke AI tools to enhance investigative reporting Internal tool “Cheat Sheet” streamlines complex data analysis for journalists The organisation balances AI innovation with ethical and legal considerations The New York Times has made significant strides in integrating artificial intelligence technology into its investigative journalism, enabling reporters to tackle complex investigations that would have been unfeasible just a few years ago. Under the leadership of Zach Seward, appointed as editorial director for AI initiatives in December 2023, the Times has developed bespoke AI tools that empower journalists to analyse vast volumes of video and textual data…
High-profile American investors linked to proposed TikTok ownership transfer Deal aims to address national security concerns while maintaining platform stability Collaboration includes bipartisan efforts and potential Chinese approval, with significant media and tech influence involved President Donald Trump has announced a significant development in the ongoing negotiations to bring TikTok’s American operations under U.S. ownership, revealing that prominent figures from the corporate and media world—including Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and Michael Dell—would be involved as investors in a proposed deal. The deal aims to transfer the majority ownership of TikTok’s U.S. assets from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to a…
ABC News overtake news.com.au as the most-read Australian news website in August The Australian’s recent growth driven by third-party aggregators rather than subscriptions Australian news readership remains high, with over 20 million accessing news online ABC News and news.com.au have solidified their positions as the leading news websites in Australia, creating a significant gap between themselves and their closest competitors. According to the Ipsos iris ranking report, which extrapolates national readership from data collected across 8,000 devices, ABC News attracted over 13 million monthly readers in August. News.com.au followed closely behind with 12.683 million readers, marking a 5.4% increase from…
FAZ+ celebrates seven years with a special rate of €7 per month for seven months Offers include exclusive international reports, podcast access, and a free Emsa thermobecher Emphasises commitment to high-quality, trustworthy journalism supported by subscriptions The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) is celebrating the seventh anniversary of its premium service, FAZ+, by offering readers a reduced rate of €7 per month for seven months. The move highlights the publisher’s continued push to grow digital subscriptions as advertising revenues across the industry remain under pressure. Launched in 2017, FAZ+ provides subscribers with exclusive foreign correspondence, in-depth political and economic analysis, and…
La Repubblica launches a €69 annual bundle with The New York Times The joint subscription includes unlimited digital content, podcasts, newsletters and interactive features Reflects broader industry trend of strategic bundling to boost digital subscriber numbers The Italian daily La Repubblica has joined a growing number of publishers partnering with The New York Times to offer bundled subscription deals. Under the agreement, subscribers to La Repubblica gain full digital access to both its content and the NYT’s for an annual fee of €69. The bundle gives users unrestricted access to La Repubblica’s premium site, app, podcasts, exclusive newsletters, interactive content…
OpenAI introduces behaviour-based age verification and stricter content restrictions for under-18 users New measures respond to lawsuit and public outcry regarding harms caused by AI interactions with minors Industry debate intensifies on balancing safety, privacy, and freedom in AI platforms OpenAI is introducing stricter protections for teenagers using ChatGPT after a lawsuit alleged the chatbot contributed to the death of a 16-year-old boy. The move comes amid mounting legal and political pressure over the risks generative AI poses to vulnerable young users. In a blog post, CEO Sam Altman said the company will roll out behaviour-based age prediction, which estimates…
Trump claims Times misinformation damages his reputation and business interests Lawsuit revolves around articles and book Lucky Loser and alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein Trump accuses Times of partisan bias during 2024 election; Times denies allegations Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists, and publisher Penguin Random House, alleging they damaged his reputation and business interests through false and malicious reporting. Filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, the suit focuses on Times articles and the book Lucky Loser, which Trump claims contained defamatory material, including what he calls…
Trump accuses The New York Times of publishing false and malicious reports Legal action targets articles and the book “Lucky Loser” linked to defamation claims Suit claims economic harm amid ongoing media-political conflicts Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists, and publisher Penguin Random House, alleging they damaged his reputation and business interests through false and malicious reporting. Filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, the suit focuses on Times articles and the book Lucky Loser, which Trump claims contained defamatory material, including what he calls a fabricated link…
Gannett unveils DeeperDive, an AI tool replacing traditional search on USA Today The system provides factually accurate, source-cited answers from proprietary content Gannett aims to counter AI-driven traffic loss and explore new revenue opportunities Gannett, publisher of USA Today and more than 220 other titles, has rolled out DeeperDive, a generative AI answer engine designed to reshape how readers interact with its journalism. Unveiled by CEO Mike Reed at the WIRED AI Power Summit in New York, DeeperDive replaces the search bar on USA Today’s homepage with a conversational tool. It prompts readers with suggested questions — such as “How…
Financial Mail, one of South Africa’s best-known weekly financial magazines, will publish its final edition on 30 October, ending a 65-year run. Parent company Arena Holdings said the brand’s editorial expertise will be folded into daily sister title Business Day. Arena CEO Pule Molebeledi called the move “an important new chapter” and stressed there would be no job losses, with staff moving into roles at Business Day. He praised Financial Mail’s record of “sharp analysis” and “thought-provoking financial coverage,” saying readers would benefit from deeper daily insights as the two titles’ strengths are combined. The closure reflects the wider financial…
