5:15 pm - April 29, 2025
The news industry has undervalued product development and must elevate its product teams – urgently. Here’s a challenge for you: name one truly great digital news product. Not a news brand. Not a piece of journalism. A product – a digital experience that stands alongside the best that the…...
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There were widespread concerns about misinformation, AI’s ability to produce reliable news content and journalism jobs. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center suggests widespread public scepticism in the United States about the long-term impact of artificial intelligence on journalism, with concerns centred on misinformation, job losses and declining…
The independent Slovakian news outlet Denník N celebrated its 10th anniversary with a groundbreaking subscription campaign that vastly exceeded expectations. Denník N, one of Slovakia’s leading independent news organisations, has recorded a major subscription success after a 10th anniversary campaign that combined flexible pricing, audience mobilisation and a strong…
Staff shortages, weak data strategies and cultural barriers slow newsroom transformation, according to a Korea Press Foundation study. A new survey by the Korea Press Foundation has highlighted sharp disparities in the size and capabilities of digital teams at Korean newspapers, alongside ongoing organisational and technological hurdles hampering digital transition…
Italian newspaper plans regular AI supplements but stresses technology must complement, not replace, journalists. The results are in. Italian daily Il Foglio has reported a sales boost and positive reader engagement after a month-long experiment publishing AI-generated content alongside its traditional journalism. Following the success of the trial, the newspaper…...
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Nonprofit news startup shuts down less than two years after launch despite major funding. Houston Landing, a nonprofit digital news outlet launched in June 2023, will close by mid-May after failing to secure sustainable funding. The shutdown highlights the ongoing difficulties faced by nonprofit local news startups even when they…
Kenya’s largest media house struggles with falling ad revenue and high inflation. Nation Media Group (NMG) has reported a loss of $1.9 million (KES 254.4 million) for 2024, a 27% increase on the $1.5 million (KES 205.7 million) loss recorded the previous year. The company blamed falling advertising revenues and…
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The same pattern seen in America before the presidential election is being repeated down under. Australian audiences are turning to news podcasts in growing numbers as the 2025 federal election draws closer, according to March data from Triton Digital’s Australian Podcast Ranker. ABC News Top Stories sits second overall, attracting more than 1 million monthly listeners and 2.8 million downloads across 406 episodes – the highest episode count in the top ten. It also led the Australian podcast category for the second month running. ABC News Daily climbed to ninth, drawing over 416,000 listeners and 1.1 million downloads, underlining strong…
A recent FIPP webinar sparked a vital conversation about the impact of AI on journalism and publishing. What role should AI play in publishing? A recent webinar hosted by FIPP – the global media network – offered a thoughtful and timely space to explore this often fraught question. Under the guidance of Alastair Lewis, FIPP...
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Zuora report shows strong growth for subscriber businesses – but rising costs risk driving users away. Businesses built on subscription models are continuing to outgrow the wider market, according to the latest Subscription Economy Index from Zuora. The report found that subscription-based companies achieved an 11% revenue growth advantage over the S&P 500, based on data from more than 600 firms. The findings suggest that recurring revenue models remain resilient in uncertain economic conditions. A separate survey commissioned by Zuora and conducted by The Harris Poll found that 68% of US adults used a subscription service for the first time…
Former MSNBC host builds fast-growing independent outlet with big-name contributors and ambitions beyond Substack. Mehdi Hasan’s independent media platform Zeteo has generated more than $3.5 million in revenue in its first year, making it one of the fastest-growing ventures on Substack. The former MSNBC host launched the newsletter on April 15, 2024, and now claims...
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Tech titans spark backlash with anti-copyright stance amid AI copyright battles. Jack Dorsey has called for the complete eradication of intellectual property law – and Elon Musk agrees. The former Twitter and Square CEO made the blunt demand in a post on X, prompting an immediate “yes” from Musk in support. Their comments, made without much context, land as lawsuits mount against AI companies for using copyrighted content to train their models. OpenAI – co-founded by Musk – is at the centre of several of them. Musk’s endorsement of Dorsey’s stance gave the idea far more reach and weight. The…
Dotdash Meredith invests in mobile product aimed at younger, visually-driven audiences. People Magazine has launched its first standalone app, marking a significant new direction for Dotdash Meredith since acquiring the brand in 2021. The app, released on Thursday, features a TikTok-style interface and offers original, swipeable content designed to appeal…...
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New interface offers smarter search, content discovery and real-time alerts. The Associated Press has launched AP Newsroom, a new AI-powered content platform designed to improve how users access and engage with its visual, audio and text-based news coverage. The platform features a redesigned interface and upgraded tools to streamline content…
Newsrooms urged to move beyond experiments and integrate AI into core strategy. Artificial intelligence is no longer optional for newsrooms – it’s existential. That was the message from Ezra Eeman, WAN-IFRA’s AI expert and director of strategy and innovation at Dutch public broadcaster NPO, during a recent industry webinar focused…
News publishers warn outdated laws and AI misuse are threatening the future of the press. Media leaders have called on the Irish Government to fast-track long-promised defamation reforms, warning that current laws are among the toughest in the world and are stifling journalism. NewsBrands Ireland urged swift passage of the…
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South African publisher recognised for election coverage, creative formats and bold subscriber strategy Daily Maverick has won three honours at the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Africa 2025, recognising its work in reader engagement, digital innovation and subscription growth. The publication’s Elections ’24 newsletter was named Best Newsletter. Designed to inform South Africans in the run-up to the 2024 national elections, the listicle-style format offered quick summaries and encouraged readers to submit questions, which were answered in later editions. It recorded an open rate of 78.4% and saw subscriber numbers grow nearly fivefold—making it the most successful newsletter in the publisher’s…
Charles Darwin University research shows AI-written news is more uniform, less creative New research from Charles Darwin University has found clear stylistic differences between journalism written by humans and by artificial intelligence, suggesting that while AI-generated news is readable, it lacks the creative variation that characterises human reporting. The study, led by Van Hieu Tran as part of a Master’s degree in Information Technology, analysed 150 articles from outlets including the New York Times, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian. The team used Google’s Gemini chatbot to produce AI-generated versions of the same stories, then compared the outputs for…
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As Yahoo celebrates its 30th anniversary. the CEO outlines his vision for the future. In September 2021, Jim Lanzone assumed the role of CEO at Yahoo, marking a significant transition for a brand long associated with the early internet era but which had struggled under various ownership structures, ultimately sold by Verizon to Apollo Global Management for about $5 billion. Speaking to Wired, Lanzone expressed his enthusiasm for turnaround challenges, highlighting Yahoo’s potential as an underappreciated asset despite its troubled past. With an established track record in digital transformation, particularly during his tenure at CBS Interactive and his earlier success…
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…
The iconic fashion publication is set to relaunch in the UK, embracing nostalgia and Gen Z consumer desires. i-D magazine is set to relaunch on UK newsstands after a hiatus following its parent company Vice’s bankruptcy in 2023. The fashinon magazine has been acquired by model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss under her Bedford Media conglomerate. At the launch event, Kloss described i-D as “an extraordinary piece of fashion history,” emphasising her determination to preserve its legacy. The revival of i-D comes amid a broader trend where fashion magazines are experiencing a resurgence, predominantly fuelled by nostalgia among Gen Z readers.…
The London tabloid celebrates a significant milestone in its digital evolution as it appoints a global women’s editor. The Daily Mail has crossed the milestone of a quarter of a million subscribers within 15 months of the launch of its new digital service, Mail+. As of now, the Daily Mail boasts over 163,000 subscribers to...
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A Visa study reveals the under-30s spend an average of £305 monthly on subscriptions, outpacing older generations. A recent study from Visa has revealed that Generation Z (ages 13-28) is leading the subscription economy in the UK, with 93% of surveyed individuals subscribing to at least one service and spending an average of £305 monthly. This significantly outpaces spending habits of older generations, including Generation X (ages 44-59) who spend £91, and Baby Boomers (ages 61-79), who average £108 per month. The findings indicate a pronounced generational shift in consumer behaviour towards subscription services, with the younger demographic willing to…
The publisher of the Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman sees a 9% revenue increase and a near-50% rise in pre-tax profit. National World, the publisher of several prominent regional newspapers including the Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman, has reported significant financial growth for the year ending in December 2024, despite the ongoing challenges within the print media landscape. The company announced revenues of £96 million, reflecting a 9% increase from the previous year, alongside a near-50% boost in pre-tax profit to £4.5 million. The numbers are small but are significant given the company’s move towards digital subscriptions and enhanced video…
Substack introduces the Creator Accelerator Fund and TikTok Liberation Prize to support creators transitioning from larger platforms, providing financial stability and opportunities for growth. Substack is positioning itself as a champion for creators, offering initiatives designed to empower them in a landscape increasingly dominated by major platforms. Hamish McKenzie, co-founder and chief writing officer of Substack, said the company’s ambition was to cultivate a new economic model for creators. “We’re trying to build a new economic engine culture,” McKenzie stated in a conversation with Digiday. He emphasised that creators should be able to grow their audience while using the platform…
An appeal court upheld a decision denying copyright registration for a visual artwork created solely by an AI system, reinforcing the necessity of human authorship. The US Court of Appeals this week affirmed a refusal to grant copyright registration for a visual artwork created solely by an artificial intelligence system. The court’s ruling, in the case of Thaler v. Perlmutter, emphasised that under the Copyright Act of 1976 only human beings can be recognised as authors of copyrighted works. The case originated when Steven Thaler, creator of an AI known as the “Creativity Machine,” applied for copyright registration of an…
