7:39 am - March 19, 2026
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…
Axios cuts 11 newsroom roles to focus on deep subject expertise Company aims to build a ‘newsroom of the future’ blending human skill and AI Shift reflects broader trend towards niche authority in digital media Axios has cut 11 newsroom roles as it pivots away from general assignment reporting towards…
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…
Vox names Steve Heuser as executive editor, starting 23 March Heuser brings extensive experience from Politico and Boston Globe Focus on strengthening coverage across politics, policy, and explanatory journalism Vox has named Steve Heuser as executive editor, the company said in a statement, with Heuser due to begin the role on 23 March. The appointment was announced by Vox’s editor‑in‑chief and publisher Swati Sharma, who said Heuser would work with the newsroom’s leadership to shape coverage priorities, bolster editors and reporters, and help steer the outlet’s journalism amid a rapidly changing media environment. At Vox, Heuser will have editorial oversight…
Rashida Jones, former MSNBC president, takes on leadership of Uncensored Uncensored aims to diversify its streaming and social content globally Industry observers see her role as key to scaling Morgan’s digital brand Former MSNBC president Rashida Jones has been appointed chief executive of Uncensored, the digital media venture fronted by British broadcaster Piers Morgan. The appointment puts Jones in charge of strategy, operations and editorial development as Uncensored looks to broaden its mix of streaming and social content beyond its flagship programme, Piers Morgan Uncensored. Her arrival comes as digital news and commentary ventures race to build sustainable models based…
Bonnier News’ profitability increased by 29% in 2025, driven by digital subscriptions Digital revenue now accounts for over 60% of total income, with nearly 500,000 digital subscribers The company anticipates a stronger year in 2026 with continued growth in readership and advertising Bonnier News ended 2025 with sharply improved profitability and continued growth in its subscription business, the Swedish media group said, positioning the company for what its chief executive expects will be a stronger 2026. The results highlight the steady shift toward reader revenue and digital products across the group’s portfolio of national and local titles. The publisher reported…
Traditional newsrooms are overwhelmed with extensive coverage for huge events Readers primarily seek perspective and education, not multiple updates News organisations should prioritise analysis and opinion to better serve digital audiences This is from our weekly Editor’s picks newsletter. Sign up for free here I did something I do very rarely this week: I turned on our television at home in the morning. The reason, unsurprisingly, was the war in Iran. My goal was to get up to date with all the latest news. And I did. If nothing else, rolling TV news stations are always quick on to…
ESPN hires six experienced journalists from The Washington Post amid industry reshuffle New recruits bolster ESPN’s investigative and long‑form sports coverage The move highlights the widening talent gap and strategic shifts after Post’s sports desk closure Five weeks after The Washington Post dismantled its sports desk, ESPN has hired six of the newspaper’s former reporters, a move that follows a similar mass hiring by The Athletic, which is part of The New York Times. The hires reflect a broader shift in sports journalism, as legacy newspapers shrink specialist desks while broadcasters and digital outlets invest in reporting capacity aimed at…
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…
RAG combines retrieval and generative models to deliver up-to-date, accurate answers Structured data and schema markup boost content discoverability for AI systems SEO strategies are shifting towards fact clarity and entity prominence to favour AI-driven search answers Retrieval-Augmented Generation — or RAG — is changing how information is surfaced online.…
Indian newsrooms focus on deploying AI for operational efficiency and editorial integrity Practical case studies highlight automation of routine tasks and fact-checking tools Industry emphasises responsible AI use, governance and safeguarding against manipulated content Leaders from India’s newsrooms joined international experts in Bengaluru last week for WAN-IFRA’s AI in Media…
Mediahuis reports marginal revenue growth of 2% in 2025, with a strategic shift from print to digital The company’s radio and online marketplace divisions experience notable expansion Stronger cash position enables further digital investments and cross-border acquisitions across Europe Mediahuis, the Belgium-based publisher which also has titles in the Netherland,…
Top stories
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…
Programme targets young media leaders across EMEA to foster responsible AI use in newsrooms 12-week, tuition-free initiative supported by Google News Initiative aims to narrow innovation gap Focus on skills development through real-world challenges, mentorship, and collaborative learning WAN-IFRA has unveiled the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a 12-week initiative to…
The Washington Post faces over $100 million losses, prompting major layoffs. Costs have risen 16% while output has fallen 42%, highlighting financial strain. Leadership aims to reposition the newsroom as a distinctive, must-read outlet amid changing reader habits. The Washington Post lost more than $100 million last, following a $77…
Politico to launch in Australia, targeting policy professionals and political obsessives Moves into a market dominated by News Corp and Nine Entertainment with a premium, insider-focused model Aims to fill a gap in policy intelligence and deepen political coverage in the Australian context Politico will launch in Australia later this…
Deep dive with
our insights
John Mulholland brings decades of international editorial experience to the paper His appointment aims to enhance breaking coverage and long-form storytelling The outlet seeks to innovate tone, technique, and technology in local journalism Kevin Delaney, editor in chief of The San Francisco Standard, has appointed Fleet Street veteran John Mulholland as managing editor, according to a staff memo published by Talking Biz News. Mulholland will oversee day-to-day news operations, working with section editors on breaking coverage and long-form journalism. He will report to Delaney and is due to start on Monday 30 March. He lives in Sacramento and has served…
Lenore Taylor announces her departure after 13 years at Guardian Australia, including a decade as editor Under her leadership, the outlet became one of Australia’s most-read news sources, with major award wins A successor will be chosen through an open process, with David Munk serving as interim editor until then Lenore Taylor has announced she will step down from Guardian Australia after 13 years in senior roles that included a decade as the title’s editor, leaving the organisation she helped establish in 2013. Taylor joined Guardian Australia as a senior member of staff at its May 2013 launch and quickly…
All stories
Media24’s transformation into a digital-first publisher has gathered pace under the leadership of Jerusha Raath, who returned to the company in late 2024 as publisher of News24. With a background that blends editorial experience and commercial strategy, Raath has quickly become the driving force behind the group’s reinvention. Speaking to Mark Challinor as part of his News Horizons series in The Drum, Raath described 2025 as a pivotal year for Media24. Innovations launched under her tenure include a “Good News desk” designed to counter negative news fatigue. It had already attracted more than 600,000 page views by mid-July. A disinformation…
Reach plc, the UK’s largest news publisher, has signalled a decisive shift toward building digital subscriptions, reversing its long-standing aversion to reader payment models. The move follows the Daily Mail successful introduction of a subscription model for Mail Online and The Sun deciding to try again with a reader revenue with the establishment of the Sun Club. In its half-year results to 30 June 2025, Reach reported a 1.8% increase in digital revenue to £61.1 million, but overall revenue fell by 3.4% to £256 million due to a 4.8% decline in print income. Despite its traditional reliance on advertising, new…
Dow Jones Newswires has launched an AI-powered French translation service, expanding its multilingual offering for real-time financial news. The new service delivers between 500 and 1,000 translated stories every day, building on previous launches in Korean and Japanese. The rollout is aimed at professionals who want to follow US market news in French, including investors in France, French-speaking clients in New York and London, and Canadian firms affected by US tariffs. It translates English-language content from Dow Jones wires and The Wall Street Journal, with a focus on speed and fluency. “We’re targeting users who prefer to read in their…
Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the US and owner of USA Today, is offering voluntary buyouts to employees as it looks to cut costs and invest more heavily in AI and automation. In a memo to staff, CEO Mike Reed said the company’s revenue had remained “static” in recent years, with sales falling from $3.21 billion in 2021 to $2.51 billion last year. He described the buyouts as part of a broader plan to “support sustainable growth”. Staff have until July 30 to accept the severance offer and must remain in their roles until September 5. Specific terms have…
The Los Angeles Times will go public within the next year, according to its billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong. In a surprise announcement on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Soon-Shiong said the move was intended to address concerns over editorial independence and his own business interests. “I would look to take LA Times public, [for it] to be democratised. And allow the public to have ownership of this paper,” he said. Soon-Shiong, who made his fortune in pharmaceuticals, bought the LA Times, San Diego Tribune and other assets for $500 million in 2018. At the time, he described the paper…
Ofcom has warned that the UK’s public service media risks becoming “an endangered species” unless urgent reforms are made to secure its future in a digital-first world. In a new report, the regulator calls for coordinated action from broadcasters, tech platforms and government to safeguard trusted, impartial content that serves the public interest. Central to Ofcom’s six-point plan is a call for greater visibility of public service content on platforms such as YouTube. Traditional TV viewing is falling sharply, particularly among younger audiences – just 48% of 16 to 24-year-olds now watch broadcast TV each week, while 43% of children…
This week I had the pleasure of joining FT Strategies’ AI and the Future of Content event at their central London offices. They brought together leaders from across the publishing industry to debate how AI is reshaping the business of content – and what comes next. The discussion was wide-ranging and, at times, provocative: what does quality look like in an age of generative AI tools? Can AI help make editorial strategies more purposeful, not just more productive? And how do we create value when content has become so abundant and attention so scarce? These are not abstract questions.…
Italy’s communications regulator Agcom has ordered Meta to pay more than €9 million to GEDI, the publisher of La Repubblica and La Stampa, for the use of its news content on Facebook during 2022. The ruling, announced on 10 July, is the first in Italy to compel a major tech platform to compensate a traditional media group for journalism shared online. The decision follows the failure of direct negotiations between Meta and GEDI. The payout, between €9 million and €10 million, is well below GEDI’s original €30 million claim, which included content use on Instagram, but far higher than Meta’s reported…
Australia’s forthcoming ban on social media for under-16s is emerging as a defining moment for Generation Alpha, with new research showing how young people are responding to the proposed restrictions – and how complex the issue has become for regulators, parents and platforms. A global study by GWI of over 20,000 internet users aged 8 to 15, focused in part on Australia, shows that far from disengaging from social media in the face of the ban, Australian teens are leaning in. Young people increasingly view these platforms as vital spaces for self-expression, identity formation and connection. Compared to their peers elsewhere,…
A year ago The Defiant, a media company focused on decentralized finance (DeFi), partnered with DeepNewz to integrate AI-generated news into its editorial workflow. The collaboration has reshaped its content strategy, showing how AI can augment journalism rather than replace it, according to a recent post from The Defiant. With a small team of around seven journalists, The Defiant faced a common challenge: whether to chase general cryptocurrency news, which drives higher traffic, or focus exclusively on DeFi and web3 stories for its core audience. Working with DeepNewz allowed the newsroom to offload general crypto coverage to AI, freeing…
