1:11 am - September 15, 2026
B2B publishers excel in redefining their value propositions and embracing change Bold pivots, like Euromoney’s shift from journalism to intelligence services, highlight adaptability AI is viewed as an asset rather than a threat, used to enhance specialised content and customer experience There is a lot to learn from B2B…
Berkshire increases stake in The New York Times to $1.1 billion Rising digital subscriptions and advertising boost publisher’s performance Investment signals confidence in media’s digital transition and subscription model Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has continued to build its position in The New York Times, extending a bet on legacy media…
Macron advocates for a unified European ban on social media use for children under 15 The EU aims to deploy a privacy-respecting age verification app by 2026 Critics highlight challenges in rolling out secure and effective age checks across member states French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for an EU-wide…
Byron Allen cuts 35% of BuzzFeed’s workforce to improve profitability Restructuring aims to shift focus towards streaming via Local Now Company plans significant cost savings and content realignment Byron Allen has begun a sharp overhaul of BuzzFeed, cutting about 180 jobs and contract roles across BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Tasty in what amounts to roughly 35% of the workforce. The reductions, disclosed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, are the first major restructuring since Allen’s family office took control of the digital publisher in May. BuzzFeed said the move is designed to simplify operations, lower costs and…
Highlights the importance of integrating AI in newsrooms to foster meaningful change Emphasises the need for journalists and managers to view AI as a tool for value creation Warns of cultural hurdles and stress on verifying information in the AI era Need some summer reading? This week’s newsletter comes in the form of a book review. Not perhaps a suggestion for the sun lounger, but nevertheless one that every journalist should read. It’s called AI in the News Room and it was written by Martin Schori, former head of the AI Hub at Aftonbladet in Stockholm and now the…
Berlin-based startup Beatsquares raises $2 million in seed funding to enhance its AI platform The platform converts editorial content into multiple formats across digital channels Funding will support team expansion and international growth efforts Berlin-based AI startup Beatsquares has raised $2 million (about €1.8 million) in seed funding to expand its platform for automatically repurposing editorial content across multiple digital channels. The round was co-led by IBB Ventures and XTR Capital, with participation from ddvg, Dutch media investor V-Ventures and a group of business angels. It follows a $500,000 pre-seed investment secured in late 2024. Founded in 2024, Beatsquares aims…
Suggestion for industry-focused ‘Festival of Failure’ to promote open discussion of setbacks Critique of current journalism events highlighting repetition and lack of actionable takeaways Advocates for shorter days, more networking, and panels focused on failures to foster growth and innovation “I want to start an uncomfortable conversation: Are there too many journalism events?” So said Marcela Kunova, the owner and operator of journalism.co.uk (JUK), last week. She continued: “I just looked at my agenda and JUK events calendar. It’s gone out of hand. Conferences, festivals, summits, workshops, talks, congresses, study tours, awards. Dozens of great events are clustered between April…
Disney-owned 20th Television partners with Vox Media Studios to develop scripted and unscripted projects Focus on adapting journalism and podcasts from Vox Media brands for Disney+ and other outlets Partnership reflects industry trend of transforming established media content into premium streaming entertainment Disney-owned 20th Television has struck a multi-year first-look agreement with Vox Media Studios, broadening a relationship that will give both companies room to develop scripted and unscripted projects built around Vox Media’s reporting and podcast brands. The deal is expected to feed into Disney Entertainment Television outlets including Disney+, with a particular emphasis on adapting material from New…
Media Concierge Group posts £12.9m EBITDA for first full period post-acquisition Integration of National World (now Iconic Media Group) has gone smoothly, boosting performance Company aims to strengthen local titles while expanding its UK and Ireland publishing footprint Media Concierge Group has said the integration of National World has gone…
Economist launches Economist Play, a $15/month multimedia bundle combining videos, podcasts, and newsletters Strategy aims to reach a younger, gender-balanced audience with mobile-first content Emphasis on newsroom authenticity through faces and voices, moving away from anonymity The Economist has launched a lower-cost subscription bundle built around audio and video, in…
Data shows games and interactive content drive deeper user loyalty. Publishers are overestimating the importance of breaking news for app retention. Investment should focus on habit-forming features to reduce churn and build routines. I used to bristle when I worked at The Sunday Times and a friend said he had…
Der Spiegel refuses to let AI write or rewrite its articles, citing responsibility and trust. Industry faces tension between efficiency and accountability in adopting AI tools. Growing concerns over accuracy, transparency, and the future role of human journalists. Whether journalists should use artificial intelligence to write stories has become one…
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Getty Images strikes a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI The partnership enhances ChatGPT’s image relevance and trustworthiness Shares rise as Getty aims to monetise its archive amid AI-driven disruption Getty Images has struck a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI that will allow its pictures to appear in ChatGPT’s search and…
Complaint alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used nearly 400 newspapers’ reporting without permission Case marks the largest coordinated legal action by local news publishers on AI training issues Suit aims to protect local journalism and challenge the use of copyrighted material in AI development A coalition of local newspaper publishers…
Forbes launches Forbes Creator to leverage social media personalities New platform combines journalistic content with creator autonomy Aims to expand reach, diversify content, and develop commercial opportunities Forbes is deepening its push into creator-led distribution, using social media personalities and specialist voices to widen its reach beyond its own platforms…
Social media and video now the primary news sources globally Trust in news drops to a historic low of 37%, with Americans trusting only 25% News organisations face the challenge of rebuilding trust amidst AI content proliferation Forget the World Cup, for news nerds this week has brought unbridled excitement…
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A debate in Lexington underscores tensions between traditional reporting and AI-assisted news The Kentucky Lantern champions human-made journalism, while Lexington Times utilises AI for coverage The dispute reflects broader challenges facing shrinking local news ecosystems across the US A small but telling dispute in Lexington, Kentucky, has opened a wider argument about the future of local journalism, especially the role of artificial intelligence in newsrooms that are trying to survive with fewer staff and thinner budgets. The spark came when Linda Blackford, editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Lantern, wrote about AI and journalism and stressed that the Lantern’s work is produced…
Bonnier News poised to become majority owner of Irish media group after partnership expansion Deal under review by regulators, with new leadership and board structure upcoming Business Post Group cites significant financial recovery and growth prospects Swedish publisher Bonnier News is set to become the majority owner of Business Post Group, in a deal that will leave founder Enda O’Coineen with a significant minority stake through his Kilcullen Family Office. The transaction marks a further step in a relationship that began in 2023, when Bonnier took a minority equity position in the Irish company. It still requires approval from the…
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Goalhanger to take over Southbank Centre for a weekend festival in 2026 Features major podcast acts and crossover events Aims to merge arts and audio sectors in a historic venue Goalhanger has announced that it will take over the Southbank Centre next year for The Rest Is Fest, a weekend festival that puts the UK’s biggest podcast acts on stage. It is the clearest sign yet of the extent to which the digital audio firm is using events to diversify its offer. Running from Friday 4 September to Sunday 6 September 2026, the event will be a centrepiece of the…
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…
The Observer introduces paywall with subscription options to counter news fatigue New digital platform features curated content, puzzles, and audio journalism Move aims to rebuild trust and ensure independence through reader revenue The Observer has introduced its first digital subscription and paywall, paired with the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper’s move to daily publishing. The move – led by new owner Tortoise Media – marks a bet that readers will pay for focused, trustworthy coverage as news fatigue grows. It was accompanied by a redesigned website and a new smartphone app. Subscriptions cost £16 a month or £144 a year,…
MEN Premium launched with with exclusive content and enhanced digital features Subscription model aims to sustain high-quality local journalism amid financial pressures New offerings include ad-lite experience, daily digests, and interactive elements for readers The Manchester Evening News (MEN) has launched a digital subscription called MEN Premium, signalling a clear break from its owner Reach’s previous antipathy toward paid news. Editor-in-chief Sarah Lester said the paper’s role as a source of accurate, contextual reporting has become more important as platforms such as Google, Facebook and TikTok shape how people consume news. “The MEN remains a bastion for accurate, fact-checked and…
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.…
Goalhanger shifts from audio-first to a multi-platform media entity with a new identity Launch of new high-trust content franchise ‘The Rest Is Science’ Focus on deep engagement and premium advertising opportunities amid evolving consumer habits Goalhanger has launched a full rebrand that shifts the company from its podcasting roots into a broader media operation incorporating video, live experiences, social content and subscription memberships. The move reflects how podcast publishers are repositioning themselves to keep pace with changing audience habits and attract higher-value commercial partners. The new identity is built around a GH wordmark and the line “For the curious.” Goalhanger…
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…
CNN ceases to share content on Apple News amid ongoing negotiations Launch of new tiered subscription service aims to boost direct revenues The move highlights tensions between platform reliance and control over content CNN has taken its content off Apple News, ending a distribution deal that has been in place since the app launched in 2015. The network’s feed disappeared as the two sides negotiate new terms, with neither company commenting on the talks. The shift matters because it shows how quickly relationships between publishers and platforms can change as news organisations push harder for direct revenue. The move comes…
Bevan Shields resigns as editor of the Sydney Morning Herald citing health reasons Shields to return as a senior writer after nearly four years at the helm Chief reporter Jordan Baker to succeed him as editor in early 2026 Bevan Shields has resigned as editor of the Sydney Morning Herald after nearly four years, saying he needs to focus on his health and wellbeing. His exit ends a period of significant change at Nine’s flagship Sydney title and raises fresh questions about how the masthead navigates its next stage of digital transformation. In an email to staff, Shields called the…
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…
