6:56 pm - June 11, 2026
Former National World executives introduce Profenx, blending AI tools with creator-led content Company develops a platform to enhance digital content economics and expand through licensing and acquisitions Backed by Jaipur Capital, Profenx aims to reshape publishing with innovative models across global markets A group of former National World executives has…
Bloomberg journalism now accessible directly within CisionOne platform for corporate users Aims to streamline news monitoring and response strategies for communications teams Reflects a trend towards seamless integration of media content and analytics for enterprise agility Bloomberg Media has partnered with Cision to make Bloomberg’s journalism available within CisionOne, the…
Rainer Esser asserts AI will enhance journalism’s value by emphasising human connection Calls for news organisations to recognise their worth and partner confidently with tech giants Personal storytelling highlights irreplaceable human element in investigative journalism If you’re invited to speak at a conference, you really don’t want a slot at…
Simon Robinson, currently a Reuters executive, to lead ABC News in September First external hire for the role in decades amid leadership reshuffle Broadcaster seeks to rejuvenate its journalistic output amid ongoing transition Australia’s ABC has chosen Reuters executive Simon Robinson as its new director of news and current affairs, ending days of speculation after the broadcaster’s surprise leadership change. Robinson, currently deputy to Reuters’ editor-in-chief, will take up the post in September. The ABC said he would become its next Director of News and Current Affairs, and described the appointment as the first external hire for the role in…
CNN sues Perplexity AI over copyright violations OpenAI publishes governance framework aligned with new regulations State versus federal fights intensify over AI regulation jurisdiction Three developments last week underscored how fragmented AI governance has become: CNN sued Perplexity AI over alleged copying of its journalism; OpenAI published a governance framework tied to emerging EU and California rules; and the legal battle over state AI regulation in the US continued to intensify. The disputes show AI policy evolving on multiple fronts at once. Copyright enforcement, safety disclosure requirements and constitutional fights over state regulation are advancing separately, forcing AI companies to…
The Vatican’s encyclical calls for AI regulation based on law, oversight and human judgement Pope warns against autonomous weapons, worker displacement and AI-driven conflict Emphasises the importance of moral language in global AI governance debates Pope Leo XIV has thrust the Vatican into the centre of the global debate over artificial intelligence, using his first encyclical to argue that the technology must be governed by law, oversight and human judgement rather than left to market forces or military competition. Entitled Magnifica humanitas — “Magnificent Humanity” — the document presents AI as one of the defining moral questions of the age.…
Goalhanger, launched by Gary Lineker, expands into backing early-stage media companies Moves include investments in Invisible Media and Backyard Cricket to diversify portfolio Company shifts focus from advertising to subscriptions and live events, reaching over 250,000 subscribers Gary Lineker’s media company is expanding beyond podcast production after helping launch Goalhanger Ventures, a new investment arm aimed at backing creator-led media businesses. The move marks a broader shift for Goalhanger as it seeks to build influence across the wider creator economy, not just podcasting. The company has grown rapidly on the back of hit shows such as The Rest is Politics…
Bezos defends the profitability of journalism as a measure of relevance Changes in Google search algorithms threaten traditional news revenue To succeed, news organisations must focus on delivering value and distinctive reporting Jeff Bezos sometimes makes agreeing with him very difficult. This was the case earlier this week when he said in an interview with CNBC that President Donald Trump was “more mature” in his second term than his first and that Amazon’s commission of the Melania documentary was in no way whatsoever an attempt at “buying influence”. It is profoundly depressing that one of the features of this…
The Economist tests agent-readable content to adapt for AI intermediaries New formats aim to balance discoverability with brand control Internal AI adoption speeds product development and fosters ‘vibe coding’ culture The Economist is redesigning parts of its digital operation for a future in which AI assistants, rather than search engines…
The CMA approves the $3.7 billion acquisition with a sale of Shutterstock’s editorial arm The move aims to prevent market dominance in UK news imagery The deal highlights industry pressures from AI and digital content shifts Britain’s competition regulator has cleared Getty Images’ $3.7 billion takeover of Shutterstock, but only…
Axios expands local reporting to 35 cities with plans for 100. AI tools like GPT assist in drafting and editing, reducing costs. The company balances automation with journalistic integrity amidst industry scepticism. Axios is betting that artificial intelligence can do something many publishers have struggled to achieve for years: make…
Byron Allen expresses continued interest in acquiring The Washington Post Set to control BuzzFeed and HuffPost through latest deal Envisions broader streaming strategy with BuzzFeed to rival established digital outlets Byron Allen has said he still wants to buy The Washington Post, even as he prepares to take control of…
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Examines the American focus on prestigious awards over reader needs Critiques the biased and inward-looking nature of the Pulitzers Argues that abolition could renew journalism’s relevance to the public The difference between American and British journalism is clear in what they choose to display in their newsrooms. Visit any…
Mediahuis and other major news organisations form SPUR to address AI content use Initiative aims to create standard licensing frameworks for AI and journalism Focus on transparency, traceability, and fair remuneration for news content Mediahuis, the acquisitive Belgian publisher with outlets across Europe, has become a founding member of SPUR,…
MIT Sloan Management Review to cease print publication in 2026 Transition to newsletters, videos, social media and podcasts A strategic response to changing management communication trends MIT’s decision to close MIT Sloan Management Review after 67 years marks the end of one of the most durable business school brand extensions…
Byron Allen’s family office to acquire a controlling stake in BuzzFeed for $120 million The deal includes a shift in leadership and a focus on AI and user-generated content BuzzFeed aims to reinvent itself amid declining revenues and a disrupted digital landscape BuzzFeed has struck a deal to hand control…
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Newsweek recovered from debt and declining readership through strategic alliances Key partnerships with Google Cloud and Statista drove significant growth in traffic and trust The revival exemplifies a shift towards collaborative models in legacy media success stories Newsweek’s turnaround under chief executive Dev Pragad has been driven less by internal restructuring than by a series of partnerships that helped rebuild the publisher’s audience, technology and commercial business. When Pragad took over, the company was carrying more than $25 million in debt and struggling with declining readership. Rather than rebuild every capability in-house, Newsweek focused on outside partnerships to supply technical…
The Washington Post begins rehiring staff after massive layoffs in February Some employees returned on a temporary basis to fill critical gaps The move raises questions about the paper’s strategic direction and workforce stability The Washington Post is attempting to stabilise its newsroom after February’s sweeping layoffs by quietly bringing back some of the journalists it had just let go, a sign of how quickly the impact of the cuts became apparent. According to reporting by the Columbia Journalism Review, editors began contacting dismissed reporters in March, asking some to return on what the union calls a “delayed layoff” basis.…
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The Daily Mail has announced that all of its digital platforms – including MailOnline – will operate under a single masthead: Daily Mail. The move is designed to eliminate reader confusion and unify its global digital output under one of the most recognised names in media. Alongside the rebrand, the company has set a target of reaching one million digital subscribers by October 2028. It currently has more than 325,000 digital subscribers worldwide, including 20,000 in Australia and 50,000 in the United States. The changes follow the launch of Mail+ last year, which the company says is one of the fastest-growing subscription…
Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary of a CEO, is experimenting with AI to expand the limits of podcast production. His company, FlightStory Studio, has launched 100 CEOs with Steven Bartlett, a series that uses AI voices and animation to deliver scripted episodes telling the stories of prominent business figures including Richard Branson and Elon Musk. While Bartlett still writes the scripts, the hosting and production are done using AI tools from companies such as Runway, ElevenLabs and Wondercraft. The show is available on YouTube and Apple Podcasts and makes clear that it is AI-generated. Georgie Holt, FlightStory’s cofounder, told…
Three small newsrooms in Argentina have shown how AI tools can help local journalism thrive – even in financially constrained settings – by enhancing editorial quality, deepening community engagement and improving operational efficiency. As part of a project led by the regional press association ADIRA and tech company N-Media, the teams at El Debate Pregón in Gualeguay, Ecos Diarios in Necochea and El Libertador in Corrientes used tools such as Google Pinpoint and Notebook LM to take on major projects that would have been difficult or impossible with limited staff and budgets. At El Debate Pregón, journalist Santiago Joaquín García…
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…
Executive Summary The publishing industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by the dual forces of digital platform dominance and the rise of AI-generated content. This shift has provoked robust regulatory responses worldwide, with a focus on antitrust actions against tech giants whose control of data, algorithms, and distribution channels threatens traditional publisher market power and sustainability. Regulatory frameworks such as the European Union’s AI Act institute binding transparency and accountability mandates to curb platform abuses affecting news media [EXT1][EXT2]. Concurrently, publishers face unprecedented challenges in securing fair licensing and compensation for AI training data, leading to landmark negotiations and legal…
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…
