10:48 am - September 15, 2026
B2B publishers excel in redefining their value propositions and embracing change Bold pivots, like Euromoney’s shift from journalism to intelligence services, highlight adaptability AI is viewed as an asset rather than a threat, used to enhance specialised content and customer experience There is a lot to learn from B2B…
Berkshire increases stake in The New York Times to $1.1 billion Rising digital subscriptions and advertising boost publisher’s performance Investment signals confidence in media’s digital transition and subscription model Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has continued to build its position in The New York Times, extending a bet on legacy media…
Macron advocates for a unified European ban on social media use for children under 15 The EU aims to deploy a privacy-respecting age verification app by 2026 Critics highlight challenges in rolling out secure and effective age checks across member states French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for an EU-wide…
Byron Allen cuts 35% of BuzzFeed’s workforce to improve profitability Restructuring aims to shift focus towards streaming via Local Now Company plans significant cost savings and content realignment Byron Allen has begun a sharp overhaul of BuzzFeed, cutting about 180 jobs and contract roles across BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Tasty in what amounts to roughly 35% of the workforce. The reductions, disclosed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, are the first major restructuring since Allen’s family office took control of the digital publisher in May. BuzzFeed said the move is designed to simplify operations, lower costs and…
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 the form of a book review. Not perhaps a suggestion for the sun lounger, but nevertheless one that every journalist should read. It’s called AI in the News Room and it was written by Martin Schori, former head of the AI Hub at Aftonbladet in Stockholm and now the…
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 its platform for automatically repurposing editorial content across multiple digital channels. The round was co-led by IBB Ventures and XTR Capital, with participation from ddvg, Dutch media investor V-Ventures and a group of business angels. It follows a $500,000 pre-seed investment secured in late 2024. Founded in 2024, Beatsquares aims…
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 many journalism events?” So said Marcela Kunova, the owner and operator of journalism.co.uk (JUK), last week. She continued: “I just looked at my agenda and JUK events calendar. It’s gone out of hand. Conferences, festivals, summits, workshops, talks, congresses, study tours, awards. Dozens of great events are clustered between April…
Disney-owned 20th Television partners with Vox Media Studios to develop scripted and unscripted projects Focus on adapting journalism and podcasts from Vox Media brands for Disney+ and other outlets Partnership reflects industry trend of transforming established media content into premium streaming entertainment Disney-owned 20th Television has struck a multi-year first-look agreement with Vox Media Studios, broadening a relationship that will give both companies room to develop scripted and unscripted projects built around Vox Media’s reporting and podcast brands. The deal is expected to feed into Disney Entertainment Television outlets including Disney+, with a particular emphasis on adapting material from New…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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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…
Complaint alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used nearly 400 newspapers’ reporting without permission Case marks the largest coordinated legal action by local news publishers on AI training issues Suit aims to protect local journalism and challenge the use of copyrighted material in AI development A coalition of local newspaper publishers…
Forbes launches Forbes Creator to leverage social media personalities New platform combines journalistic content with creator autonomy Aims to expand reach, diversify content, and develop commercial opportunities Forbes is deepening its push into creator-led distribution, using social media personalities and specialist voices to widen its reach beyond its own platforms…
Social media and video now the primary news sources globally Trust in news drops to a historic low of 37%, with Americans trusting only 25% News organisations face the challenge of rebuilding trust amidst AI content proliferation Forget the World Cup, for news nerds this week has brought unbridled excitement…
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A debate in Lexington underscores tensions between traditional reporting and AI-assisted news The Kentucky Lantern champions human-made journalism, while Lexington Times utilises AI for coverage The dispute reflects broader challenges facing shrinking local news ecosystems across the US A small but telling dispute in Lexington, Kentucky, has opened a wider argument about the future of local journalism, especially the role of artificial intelligence in newsrooms that are trying to survive with fewer staff and thinner budgets. The spark came when Linda Blackford, editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Lantern, wrote about AI and journalism and stressed that the Lantern’s work is produced…
Bonnier News poised to become majority owner of Irish media group after partnership expansion Deal under review by regulators, with new leadership and board structure upcoming Business Post Group cites significant financial recovery and growth prospects Swedish publisher Bonnier News is set to become the majority owner of Business Post Group, in a deal that will leave founder Enda O’Coineen with a significant minority stake through his Kilcullen Family Office. The transaction marks a further step in a relationship that began in 2023, when Bonnier took a minority equity position in the Irish company. It still requires approval from the…
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Union says two generative‑AI features were deployed without contract‑required notice or human review Management argues product teams built the tools “outside the newsroom” Ruling could set precedent on whether editorial standards and bargaining duties apply to algorithmic products Politico’s management told an arbitrator this summer that experimental AI products built by engineering teams sit “outside the newsroom,” while the union argues contract protections and human review were bypassed. The PEN Guild took Politico to arbitration in July 2025, claiming two gen AI features were deployed without the notice and editorial oversight required under its newly negotiated contract. The union says…
51% of adults used a podcast in the past month and 33% in the past week, with 71% having ever tried one Smartphones remain the primary device but smart‑TV listening doubled (4% to 8%); YouTube (20%) now rivals traditional podcast apps while in‑car connectivity is rising Ofcom and industry surveys differ, so publishers and advertisers must prioritise standardised measurement, cross‑platform deduplication and formats that suit both audio and video Podcasts have moved firmly into the mainstream, with 71% of UK adults aged 16-plus having tried one, 51% listening in the past month and 33% in the past week, according to…
The New York Times added 1.08 million digital-only subscribers over the past year, bringing its total to 11.3 million, according to second-quarter results released this week. Including print, the Times has 11.9 million subscribers. More than 6 million subscribers now fall into the bundle or multi-product category, with another 3.6 million subscribing to a single non-news product such as Games, Cooking, Audio or The Athletic.. The company added 230,000 net digital-only subscribers in the quarter and reported a 15.1% year-on-year rise in digital subscription revenue, now standing at $350.4 million for the quarter. Average revenue per user also grew, up…
Nearly a decade ago I sat in a hotel meeting room in Bermondsey, a newly revived neighbourhood of south London, with a number of colleagues from all departments of The Times and The Sunday Times. The papers were themselves newly revived, having recently returned to profit on the back of launching digital subscriptions for the first time in forever. Earlier in 2016 they had also relaunched their smartphone app and combined their websites – we had finally convinced everyone that it made sense not to have two websites competing with each other while they were both sold under the…
Thomson Reuters reported stronger second-quarter earnings, supported by continued investment in artificial intelligence across its core legal, tax and accounting services. The Reuters News division saw 5% organic growth, with gains in both its agency and professionals business, alongside contractual pricing adjustments with the London Stock Exchange. Total revenue rose 3% to $1.78 billion for the quarter ending June 30, up from $1.74 billion a year earlier. Organic revenue was up 7%. Operating profit more than doubled, rising 111%, largely due to the sale of a majority stake in the company’s Elite business. Thomson Reuters’ core business units – legal, tax…
Dow Jones, led by The Wall Street Journal, reported stellar profits of $588m on annual revenues of $2.33 billion for the year that ended on June 30, cementing its position as the standout performer within News Corporation’s portfolio. While the Journal has been revitalised journalistically under the leadership of editor-in-chief Emma Tucker, rising digital subscriptions and strong demand for the group’s professional information services have turned it into the profit engine of News Corp more widely. Total subscriptions to Dow Jones consumer products – including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and MarketWatch – rose 7% year-on-year to 6.3 million.…
SmartNews, the AI-driven news aggregator, has launched a new app that aims to give readers a more thoughtful and less polarised way to follow the news. Called NewsArc, the app uses AI to surface long-form journalism and in-depth reporting on complex topics in a deliberate counter to the fast-paced content that dominates many digital platforms. Rather than optimise for clicks or scrolling time, NewsArc is designed to encourage slower, more focused reading sessions. The company says it wants to create a shared news experience grounded in “discovering the whole story.” NewsArc is positioned as a companion to SmartNews’s flagship app,…
News Corp will launch a new daily newspaper in Los Angeles in early 2026, expanding its New York Post brand to the West Coast for the first time. The move, first reported by Axios, marks a bold bet on print and digital journalism in a region where local newsrooms have been hollowed out by layoffs and financial strain. The California Post will mirror the style and tone of the New York Post, combining celebrity gossip, sports, opinion and punchy front pages with coverage of local issues and national stories tailored to a California audience. It will be available in print…
Axel Springer has acquired Hamburg-based ad tech firm cmmrcl.ly, deepening its push into programmatic social media advertising and signalling a sharp acceleration of CEO Mathias Döpfner’s strategy to reshape the company around direct audience relationships, first-party data and AI. The deal gives Axel Springer full ownership of a platform already embedded in the advertising supply chains of some of Germany’s biggest retail and media players. Founded in 2020, cmmrcl.ly works with more than 25 data partners across Germany, Austria and Switzerland and offers sophisticated audience targeting built on proprietary data from search, browsing and purchasing activity. The acquisition fits squarely…
Welt TV, owned by Axel Springer, has launched its first AI-generated news programme. The five-minute bulletin, focused on developments in artificial intelligence, is hosted by a synthetic avatar modelled on a real-life reporter, Paul Klinzing. Most of the show’s script and editorial decisions are machine-generated. The avatar opens with a declaration: “I’m not real, but an avatar – however, the news I show you is absolutely real.” It mimics human gestures, facial expressions and speech patterns with impressive fluency, though occasional awkward pauses and odd visual details, such as a remote control in hand and no lapel microphone, underscore its…
