12:56 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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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,…
Fortune magazine is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence in news production with a new editorial push called Fortune Intelligence, aimed at accelerating breaking news coverage while maintaining human editorial oversight. The initiative, first reported by Semafor, will be led by Nick Lichtenberg, a former Fortune editor who returns to the company with a remit to explore how AI can help deliver faster, smarter business journalism. Announced internally last week, Fortune Intelligence will integrate AI tools not only in writing but also in graphics production and audio publishing, including transforming newsletter content into podcasts. Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell described the…
Martin Lewis, the man behind the UK price comparison website MoneySavingExpert, has accused news publishers of misleading readers and undermining journalism by publishing clickbait articles that twist or fabricate his advice. Speaking to London Centric, Lewis, who regularly tops polls about who the British public would like to see as prime minister, described how his name and opinions is routinely misused by online news sites even when he has said nothing on a topic. “I haven’t spoken about air fryers in two years but I keep reading news reports about ‘urgent warnings’ I’ve given about air fryers,” he said. “It’s…
Google is facing a formal antitrust complaint in Europe from a coalition of independent publishers, who accuse the company of abusing its dominance through its AI Overviews feature. The complaint, filed with the European Commission on 30 June, claims the tool harms publishers by extracting information from their content and displaying it directly on search results pages, sharply reducing user traffic and threatening the financial viability of independent journalism. At the heart of the case is Google’s growing use of AI-generated summaries to answer search queries without requiring users to click through to the original sources. Publishers say this practice…
Venture capitalist Michael Moritz is deepening his investment in journalism with a strategic expansion of The San Francisco Standard, the digital news outlet he co-founded in 2021. In an interview with the New York Times, Moritz described news and information in any city as “as vital as water, electricity and gas,” underscoring his view that local media should be treated as essential infrastructure. The Standard, which already attracts more than a million readers a month with a mix of investigative reporting and cultural coverage, has acquired Charter, a digital publication focused on the future of work. The move brings…
For a long time I thought it was the most cynical thing I had heard in my working life. “There are no prizes for being right, Alan,” said the senior executive during a conversation about whether we should sign up to a shiny new initiative that was being dangled in front of news publishers by a tech giant. It was something that senior people at the company wanted to do and his implication was that though it was self-evidently – to us at least – the wrong thing to do, we should just shut up and do it. Even if it would…
