The lawsuit was dismissed for failing to prove ‘actual malice’ in reporting The judge highlighted the investigation and verification efforts by journalists Trump plans to refile the case amid ongoing legal challenges A federal judge on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal…
David Hoffmann’s plan to save newspapers centres on hyperlocal journalism and community focus Lee Enterprises tests this approach with an emphasis on city hall, schools, and local businesses Industry faces challenges from debt, digital shifts, and the decline of traditional reporting models David Hoffmann, the billionaire investor now steering US…
CNN brings in Chris Wiggins to oversee AI and machine learning efforts across the company Wiggins, a New York Times veteran, will focus on enhancing advertising, subscriptions, and editorial workflows The move signals CNN’s strategy to deepen AI integration in its digital transformation efforts CNN has appointed Chris Wiggins, the…
82% of journalists now use AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini Concerns over AI oversight and public trust have increased Newsrooms grapple with disinformation, funding issues, and role expansion Journalists are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence into daily work while confronting familiar financial and credibility strains, according to Muck Rack’s 2026 State of Journalism report. The findings show how quickly AI has moved from experiment to infrastructure inside newsrooms — even as concerns about oversight, trust and sustainability remain unresolved. The survey of more than 1,000 newsroom staff found 82 per cent now use some form of AI. ChatGPT…
Ringier CEO warns of critical industry decline and strategic shifts Forecasts only three Swiss media brands will survive purely digitally Emphasises AI as both an operational tool and editorial threat Marc Walder, chief executive of Ringier, has argued that only three Swiss media brands are likely to remain commercially viable in a fully digital market. His remarks, in an extensive interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), come as the company navigates internal tensions and accelerates a shift towards artificial intelligence and platform businesses. The intervention sets out, with unusual clarity, how a major European publisher sees the endgame for legacy…
Reflects on the 10-year anniversary of the Times’ website and app launch Shares lessons learned from navigating change and audience needs Examines the evolution of news publishing strategies and their future direction This first appeared in our weekly newsletter Editor’s picks. Sign up here Ten years ago this week we launched the new Times and Sunday Times website and smartphone app. It remains the most significant product launch in which I have been involved. The project took a huge amount of time – it took the best part of two years to come to fruition – and energy. During…
The Daily Mail surpasses 400,000 digital subscribers less than two years after launch Growth driven by expansion into US and Australia, and simplified global branding Targets one million subscribers by 2028, buoyed by strong interest in high-quality journalism The Daily Mail has passed 400,000 digital subscribers for its Mail+ service, less than two years after launch , a signal that one of the world’s largest free news brands is gaining traction with a paid model. The milestone shows that a tabloid publisher long associated with mass free reach can convert a meaningful slice of its audience into paying readers, strengthening…
Publishers are shifting focus towards events and video for growth Subscription importance softens despite absolute gains AI presents both challenges and opportunities for monetisation Publishers are reshaping their business models as economic uncertainty and AI-driven changes to search alter how revenue is generated, according to Digiday’s third annual revenue report. The findings show a clear shift away from reliance on single income streams towards diversified, audience-led strategies — with events and video emerging as key growth areas even as advertising remains dominant. Drawing on a survey of 56 publishing professionals and interviews with executives at Condé Nast, Dow Jones, Forbes…
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman urges tech firms to focus on hiring recent graduates skilled in AI Industry leaders see young, AI-native workers as vital for future innovation and leadership Despite automation trends, companies emphasise the importance of training entry-level staff for long-term success Steve Huffman wants companies to stop overlooking…
dpa partners with Google to foster collaboration between newsrooms and digital creators The programme aims to enhance fact-based reporting and experiment with new formats Participants will showcase findings at a Hamburg event with practical industry recommendations Deutsche Presse-Agentur has launched a programme to connect traditional newsrooms with digital-first creators, aiming…
Axios embraces AI as a core part of its growth and innovation strategy The company is automating tasks and reducing staff amid rapid technological change Leadership emphasises maintaining journalism quality through exclusive reporting and expert insights Axios is accelerating its use of artificial intelligence as it seeks to expand its…
Highlights the importance of audience teams in newsrooms Critiques their ongoing marginalisation despite proven value Advocates for promoting audience specialists to leadership roles This first appeared in our weekly newsletter Editor’s picks. Sign up here I have long believed that op-ed columnists should be given five years in the…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
Journalists at Politico and E&E News have entered arbitration with management over claims that the company breached AI-related protections in their collective bargaining agreement. It is one of the first significant tests of enforceable AI rules within a newsroom. The PEN Guild, representing journalists at the two outlets, secured contract terms requiring management to negotiate over new AI tools and ensure any AI-generated content meets the same ethical and editorial standards as human reporting. The protections aim to safeguard journalism as AI adoption grows across the industry. The union alleges Politico violated the agreement in two ways. First, by publishing…
Australia’s biggest magazine publisher, Are Media, is on the market after its private equity owner Mercury Capital confirmed plans to sell the business it acquired five years ago. Are Media was created through the merger of Bauer Media and Pacific Magazines, once fierce rivals and together the dominant force in Australian magazine publishing. Mercury Capital picked up the combined business for a reported $50 million in 2020, a fraction of the $565 million Bauer had originally paid for its Australian portfolio. The publisher owns many of the country’s most recognisable titles, including Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, New Idea and…
Newsrooms across Latin America are pioneering low-cost, high-impact AI tools to streamline editorial work and unlock new formats, as shown in the first LATAM Newsroom AI Catalyst programme run by WAN-IFRA and supported by OpenAI. Over three months, 16 newsrooms from eight countries developed AI prototypes tailored to their specific challenges—from political reporting to audio production and commercial workflows. The projects offer a snapshot of how even small editorial teams can adopt AI to increase efficiency and impact without major investment or technical infrastructure. In Peru, El Comercio built a system to monitor political candidates during an election cycle featuring…
The Dallas Morning News, one of the last major family-owned newspapers in the US, has been sold to Hearst for $74.9 million. The deal, approved unanimously by both companies’ boards, will see shareholders of DallasNews Corporation receive $14 per share in cash, a 219% premium on the company’s closing price before the announcement. The transaction is expected to close in the third or early fourth quarter of 2025. Founded in 1885, the Morning News has been a fixture in Texas journalism, with a legacy of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporting and deep local ties. Its sale to Hearst, a media conglomerate, ends…
The BBC has published a detailed account of its approach to artificial intelligence and, separately, how it is experimenting with the technology, pledging to use it in ways that uphold public trust and editorial standards. The move is part of a growing effort by the broadcaster to be transparent about how AI is reshaping its operations, a nod to its role as a public service broadcaster and news source. The document outlines a cautious but forward-looking stance. It commits the BBC to using AI to support staff, improve digital services and enhance content creation — but only where it aligns…
Condé Nast has taken full control of Wired Middle East, bringing the title in-house after five years under licence with Dubai-based publisher Nervora. The move expands the New York-based publisher’s presence in the region and signals a deeper commitment to covering science, technology and innovation in the Middle East. Wired Middle East will now sit alongside Condé Nast’s other wholly owned titles in Dubai, including Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ and Vogue Arabia. The company said the publication would continue to operate as a digital-first platform focused on telling stories that connect local breakthroughs with global trends. The Middle…
Independent media outlets have lodged a formal complaint with the EU against Google’s AI Overview search feature, claiming it misappropriates content and causes significant traffic and revenue losses, sparking renewed regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the UK. Report: Antitrust Complaints Against Google Arise Over AI-Driven Search Summaries Impacting Media Traffic Introduction A significant antitrust challenge has emerged against Google concerning its AI-enhanced search service known as ‘AI Overview’, which summarises search results using artificial intelligence (AI) at the top of the results page. Several independent media outlets have alleged that this service is adversely affecting their website traffic and revenues,…

