12:58 pm - February 13, 2026
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy orders investigations into the Telegraph sale by DMGT Concerns raised over media monopoly and diversity of views in UK press Ofcom and CMA to report by June 10 on potential impact of the merger Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has formally intervened in the proposed £500 million…
The Independent appoints Barney Henderson as UK editor and Jacqui Merrington as executive editor These hires mark a strategic move to strengthen digital and editorial innovation The publication reports significant growth in UK and US digital audiences in 2025 The Independent has strengthened its senior editorial team with the appointments…
Discord to treat all accounts as teens by default unless verified* Verification options include AI selfie estimates and ID documents* Platform faces privacy backlash and debates over data security and safety measures Discord will treat almost every account as a teen profile from early March unless users complete age verification…
The New York Times achieved a record $2 billion in digital revenue in 2025 Subscriber numbers grew by 1.4 million, supported by new video and product investments The company plans to expand its video offerings and increase shareholder returns through buybacks and dividends The New York Times Company closed 2025 with record digital revenue, faster subscriber growth and improved profitability, underscoring the company’s confidence in its subscription-led model even as it steps up spending on video and product development. Executives said the company added 1.4 million net new digital subscribers during the year, including 450,000 in the fourth quarter, bringing…
Desks affected include international, sports, books and pictures Moves cited as strategic reset driven by declining search traffic and AI impact Critics fear cuts will diminish coverage of foreign affairs and local issues The Washington Post is eliminating roughly a third of its newsroom in a restructuring that will close the sports section and books desk, suspend the paper’s flagship podcast and sharply reduce foreign and metro reporting. The cuts, announced to staff by executive editor Matt Murray, include the dismissal of the entire Middle East team, senior foreign and Asia editors and correspondents covering China, Iran and Turkey. Murray…
YouTube aims to transform creators into full-scale production houses by 2026 The platform is enhancing commerce features and integrating AI tools to boost revenue Safeguards and parental controls are being strengthened to protect younger audiences YouTube is doubling down on a strategy that increasingly places it in direct competition with news publishers and broadcasters, positioning creators as full-scale production operations while expanding commerce and artificial intelligence across the platform. In his 2026 priorities letter, YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan outlined what the company describes as its next phase of growth: treating top creators less like hobbyists and more like studios,…
The Christian Science Monitor is redesigning its print and digital platforms to revitalise its audience. It aims to balance its traditional solutions-oriented reporting with more inclusive and timely coverage. The publication remains financially supported by the Church of Christ, Scientist, as it navigates the challenges of modern journalism. The Christian Science Monitor is attempting a careful revival of a reputation built over more than a century, even as it confronts steep declines in audience and staff that mirror the wider contraction of legacy news organisations. The Monitor represents one of the longest-running experiments in values-driven journalism in the US, and…
The Star Tribune emphasises verification and accuracy over rapid social media reporting. Community responses and legal battles highlight the tensions surrounding the Operation Metro Surge. The newsroom’s careful approach aims to provide fuller, more reliable coverage in a chaotic environment. Amid a saturation of real-time coverage of Operation Metro Surge — the largest federal immigration enforcement deployment in recent memory — the Minnesota Star Tribune is trying to stand apart. Its editors say the paper is deliberately slowing its reporting to verify what is circulating online, even as videos and posts spread rapidly across social platforms. In an environment where…
BBC plans to produce YouTube-exclusive content for younger audiences, starting around the Winter Olympics Up to 50 channels on YouTube to boost reach and revenue, with content also on iPlayer and Sounds Move marks a new phase in BBC’s digital expansion and monetisation efforts amid funding debates The BBC will…
Sports Illustrated introduces SI TV, a free 24/7 streaming channel featuring original and archival sports content. The service aims to capitalise on rising video engagement and expand audience reach across multiple platforms. Industry analysts see SI TV as part of a broader shift by sports publishers into FAST distribution for…
The New York Times unveils Crossplay, its first multiplayer game, to boost digital engagement. The new game incorporates features like AI analysis and social play, aiming to deepen user loyalty. Times’ focus on curated games like Wordle and crosswords sustains growth in digital subscriptions and revenue. The New York Times…
Swedish editor brings decades of media executive experience to WAN-IFRA role Organisation aims to strengthen support for independent journalism in a changing landscape Appointment signals focus on leadership development and defending democracy WAN-IFRA has named Lena K Samuelsson as Executive Strategic Advisor as the global press body sharpens its focus…
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OpenAI confirms ads will appear in free ChatGPT tiers soon, with paid tiers remaining ad-free Ads will be clearly labelled, adjustable, and excluded for users under 18 and sensitive topics Industry experts warn of balancing commercial interests with user trust in conversational AI OpenAI has confirmed that advertising will begin…
Prominent editor of Die Welt steps down after misconduct inquiry Resignation coincides with Axel Springer’s transatlantic expansion Company faces scrutiny over handling of workplace allegations and internal reform One of Axel Springer’s most prominent German editors has stepped down following an internal inquiry into his conduct at a company Christmas…
Symbolic.ai launches AI-native platform for News Corp newsrooms Early results show up to 90% productivity boost in research tasks The partnership signals a potential industry shift towards AI-driven journalism workflows Symbolic.ai, an artificial intelligence startup founded by former eBay chief executive Devin Wenig and Ars Technica co-founder Jon Stokes, has…
Politico trims 3% of global workforce in strategic realignment WSJ reorganises features and weekend teams for a more nimble, topic-driven approach Industry sees ongoing contraction, with focus on audience engagement and product monetisation Politico has begun 2026 with a round of newsroom departures, cutting roughly 3% of its global workforce…
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The Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette closes after 240+ years due to financial losses and labour disputes The shutdown highlights the broader decline of local newspapers in the US Experts warn of serious civic and community consequences from the loss of local reporting The decision by Block Communications to close the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, effective May 3, 2026, will bring to an end a title founded in 1786 that long served as western Pennsylvania’s paper of record. The closure is one of the most significant metropolitan newspaper shutdowns in a decade and a stark marker of how financial pressure, labour conflict and structural market…
The Boston Globe aims to deepen neighbourhood coverage and expand across New England in 2026 Recognition from major awards highlights recent investigative achievements New initiatives focus on community engagement, product development, and regional growth Linda Henry, chief executive of Boston Globe Media, has used a full-page year-end message in the print edition of The Boston Globe to outline priorities for 2026, pledging deeper neighbourhood reporting and broader reach across New England. The letter sets a public agenda for how one of the country’s most influential metro newsrooms plans to translate national recognition into sustained local coverage at a time when…
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Google experiments with users shaping their Discover feed using natural language prompts The feature aims to improve relevance and control while streamlining content curation Concerns grow over potential impacts on publishers, content diversity and ecosystem health Google is testing a more granular form of personalisation for its Discover feed that allows signed-in users to tell the service, in plain language, what they want to see and what they do not. The test signals a shift toward explicit, AI-driven control of recommendation systems, a change that could alter how audiences encounter news and how publishers compete for attention on one of…
McGrory to rejoin the Boston Globe as editor in January 2026 His return aims to strengthen digital subscription growth and local investigative reporting The newsroom’s structure and digital focus set to evolve amid industry challenges Brian McGrory will return as editor of the Boston Globe in January, the company said on Monday, marking a comeback to the newspaper where he spent more than three decades and previously led the newsroom from 2012 until early 2023. His reappointment offers clues about how this leading metro paper intends to navigate the next phase of digital transformation and local journalism sustainability. Boston Globe…
Yahoo launches a personalised afternoon audio news digest for US users The new briefing utilises AI technology from Artifact, acquired in 2024 The move highlights a shift towards multimodal, audio-centric news delivery Yahoo is widening its use of artificial intelligence in news delivery with the launch of an afternoon audio digest that personalises headlines for each listener. The move signals how major publishers are starting to treat AI-generated audio as a core distribution format rather than an experiment. The new briefing, called Your Daily Digest, is available on weekdays from noon to 5pm for users of the Yahoo News app…
Young users swiftly evade age checks using fake IDs, faces and third-party accounts Experts warn that verification flaws may lead to misuse and privacy risks The law’s success depends on overcoming technical limitations and ensuring safe alternatives Australia’s world-first ban on social media accounts for under-16s came into force on 10 December 2025, requiring major platforms to remove existing accounts held by younger users and block new registrations. But early signs show how quickly the policy is running into technical and human obstacles. Children have been able to evade checks within minutes by using parents’ accounts, older siblings, VPNs, fake…
Adults in the UK now spend over four and a half hours online daily, a record turn driven by AI and mobile usage Generative AI like ChatGPT dramatically changing search and information consumption Concerns rise over online safety, with increased social media use among young children and new online safety measures impacting traffic UK adults are now spending more than four and a half hours online each day, a record driven by rising use of artificial intelligence and an ever more mobile-first way of living. The finding, from Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report, shows how quickly generative AI has shifted…
A new digital media platform, Velora, utilises generative AI to enable a one-person newsroom The system coordinates news gathering, drafting, and publishing, with human editing at every stage Velora aims to transform specialised journalism and offers potential for white-label publishing solutions A former editor of Cycling News has launched a digital media brand built to rethink the economics of specialist publishing, unveiling a “one-person newsroom” powered by generative AI. Velora, created by Peter Stuart with co-founder Danny Bellion, has launched in beta after a five-week build. The project offers another live test – similar to Tomorrow’s Publisher – of how…
The European Commission investigates whether Google is using publishers’ content without fair compensation for AI summaries Concerns over unfair terms and market advantage as publishers and creators warn of traffic and revenue loss Potential for significant fines and remedies if breaches of EU competition rules are confirmed The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into whether Google is breaching competition rules by using publishers’ and creators’ content to generate AI summaries in search results and on YouTube. According to the Commission, the probe will assess “to what extent the generation of AI Overviews and AI Mode by Google is…
Meta partners with major publishers to enable AI chatbots to surface real-time headlines and summaries Deals include content licensing and multi-year agreements to ensure content protection and accurate attribution Industry experts weigh potential benefits against risks of reduced traffic and increased platform power Meta is expanding Meta AI’s news capabilities through a wave of commercial agreements that will allow the chatbot to show recent headlines, summaries and links when users ask about current events. The roster of partners includes CNN, Fox News, Fox Sports, USA Today, the People Inc portfolio, The Daily Caller, The Washington Examiner and France’s Le Monde…
The European Commission imposes €120 million fine on X for transparency violations under the DSA Elon Musk denounces the penalty as ‘crazy’ and politically motivated The case tests the enforcement of EU digital regulations and sparks transatlantic dispute The European Commission has fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X €120 million for breaching transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act. Issued on 5 December, it is the EU’s first non-compliance ruling under the new regime and signals a more assertive phase of platform oversight. The case tests the DSA’s enforcement power and highlights a widening transatlantic split over how to…
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…
