9:20 am - July 28, 2026
Highlights the importance of integrating AI in newsrooms to foster meaningful change Emphasises the need for journalists and managers to view AI as a tool for value creation Warns of cultural hurdles and stress on verifying information in the AI era Need some summer reading? This week’s newsletter comes in…
Berlin-based startup Beatsquares raises $2 million in seed funding to enhance its AI platform The platform converts editorial content into multiple formats across digital channels Funding will support team expansion and international growth efforts Berlin-based AI startup Beatsquares has raised $2 million (about €1.8 million) in seed funding to expand…
Suggestion for industry-focused ‘Festival of Failure’ to promote open discussion of setbacks Critique of current journalism events highlighting repetition and lack of actionable takeaways Advocates for shorter days, more networking, and panels focused on failures to foster growth and innovation “I want to start an uncomfortable conversation: Are there too…
Media Concierge Group posts £12.9m EBITDA for first full period post-acquisition Integration of National World (now Iconic Media Group) has gone smoothly, boosting performance Company aims to strengthen local titles while expanding its UK and Ireland publishing footprint Media Concierge Group has said the integration of National World has gone smoothly, after reporting a stronger set of results in the first full period since the acquisition. The media holding company posted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £12.9 million for the 12 months to 30 September 2025, while turnover rose to £137.6 million from £113.5 million a year…
Economist launches Economist Play, a $15/month multimedia bundle combining videos, podcasts, and newsletters Strategy aims to reach a younger, gender-balanced audience with mobile-first content Emphasis on newsroom authenticity through faces and voices, moving away from anonymity The Economist has launched a lower-cost subscription bundle built around audio and video, in a move designed to reach younger and more gender-balanced audiences while squeezing more value from its expanding multimedia output. The new product, Economist Play, is priced at about $15 a month, roughly $10 below the publisher’s full-access digital offering. It combines long-form video from The Economist Insider, paywalled podcasts, daily…
Data shows games and interactive content drive deeper user loyalty. Publishers are overestimating the importance of breaking news for app retention. Investment should focus on habit-forming features to reduce churn and build routines. I used to bristle when I worked at The Sunday Times and a friend said he had a subscription to the paper version for two reasons – and neither had anything to do with the journalism. First, he was a big fan of the crossword, which he regarded as the best on Fleet Street. Second, he said the broadsheet format made the paper excellent kindling for his…
Der Spiegel refuses to let AI write or rewrite its articles, citing responsibility and trust. Industry faces tension between efficiency and accountability in adopting AI tools. Growing concerns over accuracy, transparency, and the future role of human journalists. Whether journalists should use artificial intelligence to write stories has become one of the sharpest fault lines in modern newsrooms. Some editors see AI as a useful tool; others fear a gradual erosion of authorship, accountability and trust. News organisations are increasingly relying on AI for routine tasks while trying to preserve public confidence in journalism. As publishers draw different boundaries around…
Getty Images strikes a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI The partnership enhances ChatGPT’s image relevance and trustworthiness Shares rise as Getty aims to monetise its archive amid AI-driven disruption Getty Images has struck a multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI that will allow its pictures to appear in ChatGPT’s search and discovery results, in a move that could give the AI chatbot access to a more authoritative pool of visual material. The partnership is aimed at improving the quality and relevance of image-rich responses inside ChatGPT, while keeping the arrangement limited to display rather than model training. Getty said OpenAI will…
AI now accounts for 10% of revenue, with projections of over 60% growth in AI and Studio divisions The company expands in North America and integrates international brands, reaching half of the UK audience New strategic investments and creator-led content fuel sustained growth amid a strong digital advertising market Independent…
Expert warns news industry is still writing as if it’s 1957 Discussions highlight challenges of mobile storytelling and atomisation of news Questions remain about verification, funding, and brands in an AI-driven news future “We are still writing like it’s 1957” was the blunt assessment of Mario Garcia, speaking earlier…
Over half of global news consumers now turn to social media and video networks, surpassing traditional news websites Video consumption on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram surges, while trust in news declines Artificial intelligence begins transforming news engagement, especially among younger audiences Social media and video networks have surpassed…
German court rules AI Overviews are Google’s own content, risking liability Google argues the AI summaries are accurate but admits occasional errors Case could set legal precedent on responsibility for AI-generated information Google is set to challenge a German court ruling that could make it liable for false statements surfaced…
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UK government aims to restrict social media access for under-16s by spring 2027 Moves to curb risky features like livestreaming and stranger contact Experts highlight challenges of enforcement and broader public health strategies The UK government has confirmed plans to bar social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, in…
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…
The Times adopts a specialised, multi-team approach to video content production Video is now a distinct editorial discipline, not just repurposed print stories Distribution strategies evolve with dedicated platforms like the new ‘Watch’ tab At WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress in Marseille, Solana Pyne, video director at The New York…
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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.…
Podcasting is evolving beyond audio-only formats to include video and personality-led shows. Major outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian expand video content to reach new audiences. Monetisation models are diversifying with increased focus on advertising, subscriptions, and creator-led enterprises. News podcasting is moving decisively beyond the old audio-only model, with video, personality-led chat shows and creator-style distribution reshaping how publishers make, package and monetise their work, according to a new Reuters Institute report by Nic Newman. The study, The Changing Shape and New Economics of News Podcasting, argues that the medium is being pulled into a broader…
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Norway plans to ban social media use for under-16s by 2026 Legislation will shift age verification responsibilities to tech companies The move reflects increasing international efforts to protect children’s online wellbeing Norway is preparing to introduce one of Europe’s toughest child-safety measures online, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre saying legislation will be brought forward by the end of 2026 to bar under-16s from social media. The proposal signals a shift from platform self-regulation to state enforcement, following similar action in Australia, and adds momentum to a global debate over whether governments can – or should – police children’s access…
Highlights the NYT’s clear strategic vision driven by purpose Emphasises the importance of distinctive content to survive amid tech dominance Questions the future of audience-first journalism in an era of declining trust When Meredith Kopit Levien speaks, the news industry does well to listen. The CEO of the New York Times has been an exemplary steward of a news brand whose success is self-evident and doesn’t need repeating here. Earlier this month she was interviewed by Ben Thompson for Stratechery, a great website that addresses the strategy of media and tech companies. It was a distinctly friendly conversation but none…
Rheinische Post links AI development with subscriber growth and digital inclusion New governance and training initiatives embed AI into daily workflows Focus shifts from experimentation to measurable commercial and editorial impacts Rheinische Post has been treating artificial intelligence less as a standalone technology project than as part of a wider effort to build a stronger digital business, with a particular emphasis on subscriber growth and internal capability. Margret Seeger, who was appointed Group Head of AI in October 2024, said at WAN-IFRA’s AI forum in Frankfurt that the publisher’s approach is designed to support its broader transformation rather than sit…
Deccan Herald introduces a CMS-integrated AI infographic tool to streamline visual storytelling. The system reduces story summarisation time from 10 minutes to 1 minute. Early adoption shows potential for expanded use in social media and visual journalism. Deccan Herald has turned to artificial intelligence to solve a familiar newsroom problem: how to give readers a quick, visual version of a story without adding a heavy production burden for editors. The Karnataka-based publisher has built a CMS-integrated infographic tool that converts finished articles into structured summaries with a single click. The system, developed as part of the 2025 Newsroom AI Catalyst…
Andreessen Horowitz invests in MTS, a live video news platform on X MTS adopts a social media-style, fragmented approach to real-time commentary The project signals a shift of tech investors into media and news ecosystems Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley investment firm, has backed a new media venture, MTS – short for Monitoring the Situation – in the latest sign of tech’s push into news and commentary built around X. The project, unveiled on Monday by Erik Torenberg, aims to track technology, finance, geopolitics and culture in real time. It reflects a broader shift among tech investors to build their…
Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal launching a new sports-business vertical in July Focuses on sport as a fast-growing asset class for investors and owners Part of a wider media trend to treat sports as a lucrative commercial sector The Wall Street Journal is preparing to enter the growing market for sports-business coverage with a new vertical aimed at executives, investors and owners looking at sport as an asset class. According to Axios, the launch will be marked in July with an invitation-only event in New York called WSJ Sports: The Next Sports Economy, timed to coincide with the…
Forbes launches Forbes Wine with original analysis, ratings, and a membership programme in June The publisher aims to build direct, engaged audiences amid a 37% traffic decline New strategies emphasise trust, curation, and education in a shifting wine market Forbes is pushing deeper into wine with a new content vertical, e-commerce operation and membership programme, as it looks to build revenue streams it can control more directly. The move — first reported by Digiday — reflects a wider shift among publishers away from reliance on search and social traffic. The strategy shows how legacy media brands are trying to convert…
Glamour Australia to debut in June as a social and video-driven platform Partnership with Myer highlights focus on beauty and lifestyle content Launch signals News Corp’s strategic push into digital lifestyle brands for younger audiences News Corp Australia is bringing Glamour back to local audiences with a digital-first Australian edition of the long-running fashion and culture title, in a move that underlines the publisher’s continued push into lifestyle brands for younger readers. Glamour Australia is due to debut in June as a social, video and digital-led platform, with Myer signed on as exclusive beauty partner. News Corp said further editorial…
Theo Bamber, from the Music Publishers’ Association, takes over as NMA chief executive Industry faces critical issues over AI misinformation and economic sustainability Bamber aims to strengthen trust and legislative gains in the UK news sector The News Media Association has chosen Theo Bamber as its next chief executive, placing a policy specialist with experience in the creative industries at the helm of the UK’s newspaper trade body at a moment of intense pressure over AI, copyright and the economics of news. Bamber is currently chief policy and public affairs officer at the Music Publishers’ Association. The NMA said he…
A Baltimore-area nonprofit takes over the historic Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to prevent its shutdown The newspaper will continue publishing with its name and print editions in Pittsburgh The deal highlights the growing role of nonprofit organisations in preserving local journalism A Baltimore-area nonprofit has agreed to take over the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in a deal that should prevent the 240-year-old newspaper from shutting down next month. According to the Post-Gazette and a joint announcement from the parties, Block Communications will transfer the paper’s assets to the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the nonprofit behind the Baltimore Banner. The transaction is due to…
