12:12 pm - 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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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…
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…
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…
