The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette

Press Gazette senior reporter Bron Maher talks to Politico executive editor for Europe Kate Day about how the niche brand's rapid expansion on this side of the Atlantic.The title launched in Washington in 2007 and has been in Europe since 2015. It now has 350 staff in Europe with 45 in the UK alone. Day explained how the brand's mixed B2B and consumer business model works and revealed more about its further expansion plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Press Gazette teams offer their insights on the legacy of outgoing Reach CEO Jim Mullen, the value of news to Google and the latest company accounts at News UK, which show Sun losses declining and healthy profits for the paywalled Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford caught up with New York-based publishing consultant Matthew Scott Goldstein (MSG) to talk about the future of news in the era of AI.How concerned should publishers be about the threat posed to their business models by generative AI?9.9 out of ten said MSG.He explained why generative AI could spell the end of the road for publisher websites, but why it could also lead to a huge payday for the creators of quality content, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette's editorial team share their insights into big stories from the world of news. GB News has lost nearly £100m but is growing its non-TV advertising revenue and heading in the right direction. Charlotte Tobitt talks about this and the implications of its big legal victory over Ofcom. Bron Maher shares some highlights from Press Gazette analysis for US newspaper and magazine print circulation figures. There are only a handful of newspapers selling more than 100,000 print copies in the USA (but they can console themselves with the fact they have strong digital subscriber bases). And Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford looks at the latest financial results from Reach which reveal growing page views and profits amid a backdrop of overall decline at the UK's biggest commercial news publisher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With three major London-wide local journalism launches in the last months is journalism about England's capital city bouncing back after many years of decline?London Centric founder Jim Waterson explains how his Substack-based title has already gained thousands of paying subscribers since launching in September 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over four years at the Financial Times head of newsletters for the title Sarah Ebner has helped grow the title's number of email subscribers from 500,000 to 1.6 million.She told Press Gazette that email newsletters are now the biggest driver of reader engagement at the FT. They are also hugely important for driving subscriber loyalty and finding new paying readers as well as providing advertising and subscription revenue in their own right.In this masterclass interview she explains how publishers can supercharge their newsletter strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bron Maher discusses Press Gazette's new ranking of the most lucrative titles on Substack, Charlotte Tobitt explains how and why publishers are currently so fixated on building their followings on Youtube and Dominic Ponsford shares his view on why Prince Harry decided to take News UK's cash rather than have his day in court with The Sun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former digital development director of The Sun Paul Hood has just quit his job to study generative AI full time.He explained why AI in the media is set to reach a tipping point in 2025 and start to fundamentally change the business. He also reveals some of the practical steps publishers should take to ensure they can capitalise on the opportunities AI presents and avoid some major pitfalls.Sitting back and doing nothing is not an option, he says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Press Gazette team look back on the big themes of 2024 for news publishers and reveal what they have learned.They also share their predictions for 2025 which include: more paywalls in the national media, an economic upturn all around and big changes in the tech platforms which readers use to discover their news, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford talks about the benefits of Bluesky for publishers with the zeal of a new convert, reporter Bron Maher explains how publishers are getting new traffic from Google via Discover and Charlotte Tobitt reveals the biggest lessons for the news industry from the US presidential election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Telegraph Media Group director of technology Dylan Jacques talks to us about the title's ambitious plans to roll out a new generative-AI powered feature every month for 12 months.It has already rolled out AI-written summaries and various internal tools which are helping journalists use AI to improve content, increase reader engagement and so sell more subscriptions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford and reporter Bron Maher provide an insider take on three of the hottest issues in news media: how did the Washington Post handle its election endorsement so badly? Why are Guardian and Observer journalists set to go on strike? And what can publishers do about the onslaught of generative AI bots harvesting their content without permission? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boston Globe chief commercial officer Kayvan Salmanpour reveals the key decisions made around online subscriptions, advertising and other revenue areas which have enabled the local news title to thrive in the digital age and continue to support investigative journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sweden's biggest news publisher Bonnier News has more than tripled profits in the past eight years and doubled revenue.It now believes a subscription bundle, putting together all of its Swedish brands and harnessing AI to better personalise what users see, will be the way forward for continued revenue growth.Bonnier News chief executive Anders Eriksson told Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt about the business transformation he has overseen and the internal culture change needed to do so, why Nordic countries are ahead on subscriptions, and the thinking behind the bundle subscription strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goal, Indivisa and Mundial publisher Footballco was reaching 30 million people in the US without having any meaningful boots on the ground.But at the start of 2024 Jason Wagenheim arrived as its first CEO for North America, bringing lessons that sports publishing can learn from lifestyle after a long stint at Bustle Digital Group.Wagenheim told Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt about how he is approaching Footballco's two-year runway ahead of the World Cup being held in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026 as well as the value of going deeper - well beyond traditional match reporting - in an age of algorithms and generative AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the half-way point of the UK general election campaign Press Gazette sat down with Mark Wallace, hief executive of Total Politics Group, to find out how the company makes free political journalism pay.Press Gazette asked how the Politics Home, Conservative Home and The House publisher is faring since incorporating in its new form in 2022, and finds out how the business has found a way to hedge against political cycles by selling services on sites targeting both left and right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Telegraph's new daily news podcast, The Daily T, is the latest entrant to an increasingly crowded audio market.Days after the show bagged the first election trail extended nterview with Rishi Sunak, Press Gazette spoke with Daily T hosts Camilla Tominey and Kamal Ahmed about how they're hoping to stand out from the competition with a right-of-centre viewpoint they feel is missing and by leaning heavily on the Telegraph newsroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode includes excerpts from an interview between Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford and Rich Caccappolo, CEO of Daily Mail publisher DMG Media. It also features media consultant Matthew Scott Goldstein. They talk about how to save journalism (and democracy) on the open web by adapting to Google's plan to switch off cookies on Chrome.He also provides an update on DMG Media's legal action against the search giant and reveals how his company is growing overall revenue in a tough market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Atlantic has become profitable after years in the red and marked the major milestone of reaching one million subscribers, it announced in April.CEO Nicholas Thompson joined Press Gazette to discuss the subscription strategy behind The Atlantic's recent success, how advertising fits in, the search for an elusive third revenue stream, and what goals he might set for the business next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford talks about exclusive new research on the prevalence of neurodiversity in news media. He also speaks to Times Radio journalist Darryl Morris and freelance journalist Lydia Wilkins about the benefits and challenges ADHD and autistic thinkers can bring to jobs in journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founder of video news network TLDR Jack Kelly explains how he funds an 11-strong editorial team providing a serious news for younger viewers on Youtube.The profitable publisher is funded mainly through the Youtube ad revenue split but also makes money from direct-sold sponsorship and a foray into print publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford discusses the latest UK magazine industry circulation figures with reporter Bron Maher.They pick out the winners and losers from the latest crop of results and also hear from Economist executive vice president Nada Arnot about how the title's cut-price daily edition Expresso achieved lift-off in 2023. She also explained why she is bullish about The Economist's headline (print and digital) circulation figures returning to growth in this election year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Online advertising used to support investigative journalism at digital-native brands such as Buzzfeed News and Vice. In the space of just a few years everything has changed, and thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as a result.Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford talks to former Business Insider editor-in-chief Jim Edwards about what is going on and how publishers should adapt to an online publishing ecosystem which is being rocked by a tsunami of disruptive change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former online editor of the News of the World turned tech entrepreneur turned future of news Cassandra Ricky Sutton joins Dominic Ponsford on the podcast sofa.The last year has been bleak for ad-funded news media but Ricky believes he has the solution. He explains why Google's reign as the most important tech partner for news publishers is drawing to a close, but more lucrative partnerships around AI and advertising with Microsoft and Amazon beckon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reach group director of digital Terry Hornsby is at the forefront of the journey away from third-party cookies at the UK's largest commercial news publisher.Hornsby told Press Gazette's Charlotte Tobitt the three pillars that will help Reach grow digital revenues through this monumental shift to the open web, discussed why trusted premium publishers will come out on top and issued a call for more industry collaboration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode, Press Gazette editor in chief Dominic Ponsford met GB News presenting duo Gloria De Piero and Christopher Hope at their new Westminster studio.They spoke about their new weekly show, PMQs Live, the future of political reporting in an election year and why they think GB News is striking a chord with viewers by offering them more of what they want.(As part of this podcast was recorded on location, apologies but the quality can get a little patchy) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guardian US senior vice president for advertising Luis Romero talks to Press Gazette about what it is like to sell in the toughest ad market since 2008.He also shares some tactics and strategies the Guardian is deploying to persuade more brands to spend money on reaching its 40m US readers per month.His pitch is a simply one - stop supporting the dark corners of the internet on tech platforms and instead help fund a news business which is shining light on the world's most important issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour spoke to Press Gazette about how the financial news division of News Corp managed to just achieve its most profitable quarter since 2007.In this edited version of his interview at the Press Gazette Media Strategy Network event in New York, he also spoke about what publishers need to focus on as global uncertainty looks set to continue in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year UK regional news giant Newsquest made £40m in pre-tax profits on turnover of £190m.This year it is tracking to have ad revenue broadly flat over two years.CEO Henry Faure Walker spoke to Dominic Ponsford about how the publisher of 200+ titles is bucking the trend on both audience and advertising revenue decline. He also shed light on some fascinating experiments using generative AI in the newsroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elle UK editor Kenya Hunt talks to Press Gazette about why she hopes readers will pay £150 a year to become fashion industry insiders as members of Elle Collective.She also talks about the future of magazines, diversity and why magazine editors have a duty to present images of female beauty responsibly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daily Mail has an average reader age of 56 but has managed to become an unlikely hit on youth social media platform Tiktok. The newsbrand is currently celebrating becoming the biggest publisher of news on Tiktok, ahead of broadcasters Sky News, ABC News and NBC News. Mail Online head of social video Phil Harvey, who joined the publisher in March, told Press Gazette how and why their Tiktok performance has transformed this year and why it is worth the investment. He also revealed which British politician and their dog has become an unlikely Tiktok star for the Daily Mail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rupert Murdoch has announced his plans to step down as executive chairman of News Corp after nearly 70 years in charge in November.Press Gazette editor in chief Dominic Ponsford discusses The Murdoch Factor with Peter Jukes (author of Fall of the House of Murdoch and co-founder of Byline Times). What is the key quality which has enabled Murdoch's success and what does the future of media look like without him? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CEO of Future plc Jon Steinberg explains why he believes his company still has the right ingredients for success (whatever investors may currently seem to think).He also talks about how he has tackled taking over from a highly successful predecessor, what he thinks about AI in publishing and how the company is just starting to generate revenue from digital subscriptions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bron Maher speaks to Semafor CEO Justin B Smith who explains the news startup's launch strategy.Semafor launched in October last year promising to be the news outlet for the "200 million people who are college educated [and] read in English”.Nine months on, chief executive Justin B Smith explains to Press Gazette that, while it still wants that audience, in the nearer term Semafor is going to look more like a luxury brand.Smith also tells the Future of Media Explained podcast why he won't be spending Semafor's millions in the bank any time soon - and how the brand's signature yellow colour harkens to the grandeur of Chinese emperors.A month after Semafor launched, Press Gazette mapped their global audience. See the map here: https://pressgazette.co.uk/north-america/semafor-global-coverage-mapped/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like most news publishers, The Guardian is still in an experimentation phase with generative AI as it tests the technology's limits and learns whether it can fit into an editorial workflow.Crucially, however, it has not deployed any gen AI tools yet and is not planning to do so in the immediate future.Head of editorial innovation Chris Moran joined the Future of Media Explained podcast to explain why – and discuss why, despite the threats to the news business from generative AI being introduced into search results and the use of publishers' content without reward, he is optimistic about what could happen next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our latest edition investigates practical applications of generative AI in the newsroom at European news group Mediahuis. Aisha Majid interviews Trui Lanckriet, MediaHuis' group data and insights director Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dominic Ponsford, Charlotte Tobitt and William Turvill from Press Gazette sum up the big news media trends from the first half of 2023.They share what we have learned so far about generative AI, the looming showdown between news publishers and tech giants and a macro-economic climate which is costing thousands of journalists their jobs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Rachel Sylvester talks to Press Gazette about a pioneering project which is shaping the policy agenda in two major areas of public life: education and health. Over the last two years she has been leading commissions charged with developing concrete solutions for reforming these two areas. The results have been welcomed by politicians and readers alike and spawned numerous editorial spin-offs. She spoke to Press Gazette about how this form of solutions journalism has resonated with readers and created rich source of content for the title (and why any commercial benefits are secondary in her eyes). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dominic Ponsford speaks to CEO of Agate Dominic Young about the threat posed to the news business by generative AI and reveals what publishers can do about it.Young was closely involved in licensing and digital development at News International in the early years of online publishing.He feels news publishers and regulators must learn from the mistakes of the past when tech platforms were given the legislative opt-outs which allowed them to build their current huge empires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In seven years at US sports and lifestyle digital media powerhouse Barstool Sports, chief executive Erika Ayers has helped grow revenues from around $2m to above $250m.Ayers told the latest episode of Press Gazette's Future of Media Explained podcast about the diverse revenue mix that has made this possible - and why the company has continued to grow when other digital-first and social media-heavy media outlets have begun to fall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 48th episode of Press Gazette's Future of Media explained podcast we speak with Malcolm Moore, the editor of the Financial Times' low-price product FT Edit.When Press Gazette last interviewed Moore in March 2022, when FT Edit had just launched, he shared his hopes that the new app would entice a group of new paying readers toward the FT - without cannibalising its existing audience.More than a year on, we check in with Moore to hear (some very promising things) about how the experiment has progressed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Deegan is the president and chief executive of News Media Canada, which represents 560 news publishers across Canada. Since starting in his role around two years ago, Deegan has been at the forefront of Canada's battle to force Google and Facebook to pay for news. With the nation's Online News Act approaching passage into law, Press Gazette's William Turvill interviewed Deegan to learn more about the story behind this legislation – and how big tech has fought back with threats and news-blocking experiments. Canada's bill seeks to build on Australia's News Media Bargaining Code and will help inform UK legislators as similar rules are drawn up in Westminster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Press Gazette's Future of Media Explained podcast features an interview with Christian Broughton, Managing Director of The Independent. The Independent runs one of the best-known affiliate marketing operations among news publishers through its Indy Best product reviews and recommendations section. As advertising revenue has declined, publishers are increasingly turning to other ways to make news pay and e-commerce, which includes affiliate marketing, is a key income stream for the Independent which went online only in 2016. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former New Yorker editor Tina Brown talks to Press Gazette about the future of investigative journalism and the legacy of her late husband Sir Harry Evans.She shares her concerns about quality journalism and shares some solutions about what can be done to save it.Brown also has some forthright views about Prince Harry and his fight against the UK tabloids over allegations of phone-hacking and illegal information gathering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Aaronovitch left The Times in March after 18 years as a columnist with the paper. But he quickly got underway with his solo venture: Notes from the Underground, hosted on Substack.In this week's Future of Media Explained podcast, Aaronovitch discusses his departure from The Times, why he decided to write for Substack, and shared his views on how newspaper comment sections have changed in recent years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Harrison, the co-founder and group editor of Podmasters, was one of the early pioneers of British current affairs podcasting. He and his team launched Remainiacs (since rebranded as Oh God, What Now?) in 2017 using Harrison's PPI compensation payout. Today Podmasters produces several other shows, including The Bunker, Hello Girls and Mugshots with Michael Crick. In this week's Future of Media Explained, Harrison speaks to Press Gazette's William Turvill about the growth of Podmasters and the future of the British podcasting sector. (PwC last year forecast that the UK's podcast ad market would be worth £64m by 2025. Harrison says that figure appears "really low".) Harrison also makes the case for why the BBC's podcast platform, Sounds, should be opened up to boost the independent sector.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NME was founded as a newspaper devoted to rock music back in 1952. More than 70 years on, and NME is no longer in print and covers a broad range of music, as well as film, TV and gaming. In this week's podcast, Holly Bishop, the chief operating officer of NME Networks, which also includes Uncut, Musictech and Guitar.com, speaks to Press Gazette's William Turvill about the future of music journalism and the challenges of keeping NME relevant as a brand in 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Covid-19 pandemic led Conde Nast to accelerate its plans to create a digital-first global content strategy. Several of its biggest brands, including Vogue, GQ and Conde Nast Traveller, have now restructured under global leaders - ending unnecessary competition and sharing the same joint vision and ethos for the first time.GQ global editorial director Will Welch spoke to Press Gazette about how the magazine brand has evolved under his editorship, how teams on its 20 international editions now work together and how this benefits its advertising clients.Welch was speaking shortly before the launch of GQ's inaugural Creativity issue, the first time the magazine will share the same pages cover to cover in every market, and Global Creativity Awards gala being held in New York. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of News UK's top executives talks to Press Gazette about how Rupert Murdoch's most beloved brand is still managing to pay its way.Dominic Carter is executive vice president and publisher of The Sun and he talks explains how the title has maintained its position as the UK's most popular commercial news brand and why digital revenue growth is outpacing print decline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York Times has the most paying subscribers of any English-language publisher, boasting some 9.6 million people buying access.But they're not all there for the Gray Lady's reporting: more than a tenth of those subscribers are paying for access to the Times' games offering - with no news included.On this week's podcast The New York Times' head of games, Jonathan Knight, tells Press Gazette the publisher's investment in games creates a valuable funnel for bringing in subscribers (and keeping existing ones around).But it's more complicated than sticking a sudoku on the website - the NYT has editors exclusively assigned to curating its game offering, and the publication puts great effort into keeping its community socially engaged with the puzzles.Listen to hear more on The New York Times' gaming strategy, who it sees as its rivals and why there's a commercial logic to investing in crossword writers from more diverse backgrounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American investigative magazine Mother Jones began life in 1976 with the idea of producing a "new brand of socially conscious journalism".As an independent non-profit outlet, Mother Jones relies upon readers for three-quarters of its revenue - both in the form of subscriptions but especially donations.About 50,000 people support Mother Jones journalism each year with donations, while its magazine has about 180,000 subscribers.In the latest episode of the Future of Media Explained podcast, Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt speaks to Mother Jones chief executive Monika Bauerlein about how to successfully encourage readers to open their wallets, why being audience-funded is so important for an investigative journalism outlet, the importance of transparency on the numbers, and combatting news fatigue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.