10:40 am - September 16, 2026
The New York Post and TMZ collaborate on a new daily video franchise called “The Lowdown”. The series features four one-minute segments combining journalism and entertainment reporting. Aims to expand digital reach and capitalise on fast-paced celebrity and headline news. The New York Post has entered into a new video…
Publishers must focus on proving value, trust, and usefulness in an AI-saturated landscape Transition from advertising reliance towards subscriptions and circulation income Emphasis on audience segmentation, relevance, and experiences to strengthen brand loyalty At the Indian Printers Summit 2026, organised by WAN-IFRA, speakers returned repeatedly to a single point: in…
21% of UK adults have used AI tools for news in the past year ChatGPT is the most widely used AI news source at 13% Trust in AI-generated news remains lower than human journalism One in five adults in the UK are now using AI tools such as ChatGPT to…
Reach announces strategic move towards digital subscriptions and original content Revenue drop highlights need for a new publishing approach Content strategy based on exclusivity, expertise, and emotive storytelling The surest catalyst for change in a news organisation is a crisis. When things are going well – or at least not too badly – there is always the temptation to defend what you have, rather than risk something new. At the World Cup, England showed how limiting a strategy that can be. But when your back is against the wall, you don’t have a choice – you have to do…
South China Morning Post revamps print and online platforms with a focus on analysis and visual appeal Introduction of AI tools enhances digital research and user experience Repositioning reflects long-term strategy of adaptation and globalisation in media The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has unveiled a redesign of both its print newspaper and digital platforms as it seeks to keep pace with changing reading habits and an increasingly AI-driven media environment. The revamp is aimed at making the title feel more useful to readers who want fast updates on screens and deeper context in print. Chow Chung Yan, the paper’s…
People Inc reports 11th straight quarter of digital revenue growth, driven by licensing and AI collaborations Company advocates for fair compensation from Google over search content use Transition towards less traffic-dependent revenue streams aims to power future growth and diversification People Inc said its digital business extended its run of growth in the second quarter of 2026, helped by higher licensing income, AI-related partnerships, events and social media products, even as core traffic remained under pressure from changes in search. The company reported its 11th straight quarter of digital revenue growth, with digital adjusted EBITDA rising 18% year on year…
Hearst acquires Disney’s half-share in A+E Global Media for $1.2 billion Move marks Disney’s strategic shift from linear television to streaming and sports A+E continues expansion under Hearst, strengthening international content reach and multiplatform growth Hearst has agreed to buy The Walt Disney Company’s half-share in A+E Global Media for about $1.2 billion in cash, giving the privately held media group full control of a television business that includes A&E, Lifetime and the History Channel, according to Reuters. The sale, announced this week, is expected to complete in September. Once the transaction closes, A+E Global Media will sit entirely within…
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…
Prince Harry and six others failed to prove unlawful information gathering by Daily Mail Court rules claims of systemic phone hacking and bugging are unsubstantiated Verdict marks a major win for Associated Newspapers and shifts legal climate for press scrutiny Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants have lost their…
Sky agrees to a £1.6 billion takeover of ITV’s media and entertainment division. The deal aims to create a stronger UK rival to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube. Completion is expected in the second half of 2027, subject to approval. Sky has agreed a £1.6 billion takeover of…
Associated Press plans new production hub in India to focus on video and photo content US-based visual journalism teams face layoffs as part of strategic realignment Union criticises outsourcing and warns of job losses in the US and globally The Associated Press is pressing ahead with plans to build a…
CMA insists on sale of Shutterstock’s editorial assets, leading Getty to withdraw from the deal Merger collapse highlights contrasting approaches to AI-driven content markets Getty faces financial pressure following the deal’s termination amid regulatory hurdles Getty Images is set to walk away from its $3.7 billion tie-up with Shutterstock after…
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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 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…
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 and draw in younger audiences who increasingly consume news and entertainment through creator feeds rather than legacy publisher channels. The initiative, called Forbes Creator, was unveiled this month as a social-first network built around video, podcasts and live experiences. Forbes says the project is intended to combine its journalistic brand…
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Elon Musk is making expansive claims for the latest version of his AI model. This week xAI, the artificial intelligence startup founded by Elon Musk, revealed the latest iteration of its language model, Grok, branding it as the “smartest” and “maximally truth-seeking” AI available. The announcement was made during a livestreamed demonstration on X, Musk’s social media platform. Musk claimed that Grok-3, which has been trained with ten times more computing power than its predecessor, surpasses competing models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and DeepSeek’s V3, in key performance metrics such as mathematics, expert reasoning and coding abilities. A significant feature of…
The funding will support the development of AI tools at the University of Maryland and Arizona State University. The Scripps Howard Foundation has allocated $2 million in funding to the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland and Arizona State University, aiming to enhance journalistic practices through AI tools. Over three years, this investment is intended to develop and pilot various AI applications which will bolster local news reporting. The foundation originally established the Howard Centers in 2018 in honour of Roy W. Howard, the former chairman of the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. The centres focus on nurturing…
At the On Air Fest in Brooklyn, podcast executives discuss innovative subscription strategies to diversify income amid changing market dynamics. Podcast executives described how they are exploring a range of subscription models to increase recurring revenue at the On Air Fest podcast event, held this week in Brooklyn, New York. These efforts are seen as both complementary and sometimes as alternatives to traditional advertising models, as the industry focuses on diversifying income streams amid evolving market conditions. A prominent example of this trend can be seen with The New York Times, which has taken steps to monetise its audio content.…
Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reflects on two decades of change in journalism at the University of Galway’s annual lecture. Irish Times editor Ruadhán Mac Cormaic delivered the annual John Cunningham Memorial Lecture at the University of Galway last week, highlighting the seismic shifts in journalism over the last two decades. The event pays tribute to the late John Cunningham, who served as the editor of the Connacht Tribune and was a long-time journalism lecturer. In his address, Mac Cormaic, who started his career as a journalist in 2007 — the same year the iPhone was launched — elaborated on the evolving…
Despite $13 billion in revenue in 2024, Steve Swartz signals a challenging journey ahead due to shifts in the media landscape. Hearst Corp achieved record revenue and profits in 2024, but its CEO, Steve Swartz, has warned of a challenging landscape ahead for 2025. In his annual letter to Hearst employees, Swartz revealed that the company reached $13 billion in revenue last year. The primary contributors to this financial success were the credit rating agency Fitch and the company’s local television stations, which both saw improved performance. Swartz said that these two divisions helped to offset the difficulties faced by…
The NZ Herald is restructuring its newsroom to enhance audience engagement and reducing its workforce by about 30 roles. The NZ Herald has announced significant operational changes aimed at reshaping its newsroom, including a greater emphasis on video content and a reduction in staff, effective by mid-March. The editor-in-chief, Murray Kirkness, expressed support for the proposed video initiatives, which include the launch of a new daily video stream dubbed Herald Now. He noted that embracing video could create new audience engagement and revenue opportunities for the publication. “It would be folly to ignore it,” Kirkness said. As part of the…
Despite economic challenges in Sweden, the broadsheet has achieved a significant increase in profits. Dagens Nyheter (DN) has reported a robust financial performance for the year, achieving a profit of 245 million kronor ($20.5 million), up from 220 million kronor in 2023, despite a challenging economic environment in Sweden. This result highlighted DN’s resilience and the ongoing reader demand for quality journalism, according to Bonnier News CEO Anders Eriksson. The media industry in Sweden has faced difficulties stemming from a weak economy and fundamental shifts in the advertising market. Schibsted, a media group that owns major newspapers such as Aftonbladet…
Amazon Prime Video’s new blockbuster is a high-stakes reality competition that is redefining video and TV. Amazon Prime Video’s new reality competition series, Beast Games, hosted by popular YouTuber MrBeast, is attracting significant attention, despite a range of criticisms regarding its production quality. The series, which debuted recently, features 1,000 contestants, all competing for a whopping $5 million cash prize — a sum that MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, frequently highlights as the largest in entertainment history. Set against extravagant backdrops including a bespoke city and a private island, the series draws inspiration from the Netflix dystopian hit,…
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s news app, Der Tag, has undergone a major update with a user-friendly design and enhanced feature. Just ahead of its tenth anniversary, the news app Der Tag by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) has undergone a significant redesign and enhancement, introducing a variety of new features aimed at improving user experience and accessibility. The refreshed Der Tag app now has a modern horizontal layout, allowing for more intuitive navigation through the most pertinent news and topics of the day. This design choice is intended to cater to users looking for a quick and effective way to keep…
Niche events are a low-risk way of entering the events space, and can be the harbinger of bigger things. Niche publishing is a trend that is proving resilient and profitable as the media landscape continues to undergo seismic shifts. By focusing on the specialist needs, interests and passions of their users, creator, consumer and B2B media can build and unlock opportunities built around highly engaged communities. One such opportunity is virtual and in-person events, arguably the purest form of direct audience engagement that publishers can develop. Niche media is far from a new phenomenon, but its enduring value remains…
