Davie: BBC not to blame for local press woes | High Court seeks US assurances on Assange
Plus Government considers adding news sites to foreign ownership ban, platform blocks weigh on Digitalbox annual results and our latest monthly ranking of the top 50 news websites in the world
Welcome to your daily newsletter from Press Gazette on Wednesday, 27 March, brought to you today in association with The Podcast Show London (22-23 May), the biggest international festival for the business of podcasting. Passes available now at thepodcastshowlondon.com.
BBC director general Tim Davie has set the scene for possible changes to the funding of the corporation once the current charter period runs out at the end of 2027.
He sees the corporation as being in a battle to prove the value of the £159 annual licence fee (£169.50 from next week) when compared against streaming giants like Netflix and Disney.
Meanwhile, at a local level, the corporation continues to upset its neighbours by expanding further into local news and taking advertising out of the podcasting market.
Most seem to agree that criminalising those who decline to pay for your media business is not a long-term funding strategy. I would suggest that whatever solution is arrived at must be designed to encourage competition and independent free-to-air commercial journalism. Most love the BBC, but we would love it less if it ended up pushing its ad-funded rivals out of business.
The 2023 results for Digitalbox underline the fragility of ad-funded news, particularly at the frothy end of the market. Its CEO told Press Gazette changes to the way Google and Facebook surface content were to blame for a 22% decline in revenue last year from brands including Entertainment Daily and student news website The Tab.
The extradition of Julian Assange to the US appeared to move a step closer yesterday after the High Court asked for assurances from the US, including that he would not be executed. What a strange world it is when the world's leading democracy could put a whistleblower to death.
And finally, the proposed ban of foreign states owning UK newspapers and magazines could extend to online news websites in changes made to the Digital Markets Bill in the House of Lords.
The question this raises is whether, like the US, UK legislators will now also look at banning or forcing a sale of Tiktok, which has become a major online source of news in the UK and is widely regarded as being under the thumb of the Chinese government.
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New from Press Gazette
BBC not to blame for local press challenges says director general Tim Davie
“I would humbly suggest that the trend lines for the local press around the world are under enormous pressure. The BBC is not deemed a contributing factor [elsewhere].”
Google and Facebook blocks hit revenue for The Tab publisher Digitalbox
Entertainment Daily, Digitalbox’s biggest brand by revenue and the one it has owned the longest before it began making acquisitions in 2019, was “blocked” by Google in search, news and Discover results at around the start of 2023 resulting in an overall drop in visits of 27% year-on-year. Google accounted for 25 million visits for the brand in 2022.
Assange must have death penalty assurance from US say judges considering appeal bid
In a judgment on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed most of Assange’s legal arguments but said that unless assurances were given by the United States he would be able to bring an appeal on three grounds.
Foreign state ownership ban could cover news websites as well as papers and magazines
Media minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay told Parliament expanding the ban, covering direct foreign state investment of any size, would be consulted on to reflect the modern news industry and safeguard press freedom.
Mail publisher launches news social-first video advertising product
Edits aims to streamline the video production process and lower the cost for entry to advertisers by offering them a menu of five video formats which can be tailored to different verticals.
Top 50 biggest news websites in the world: India Times and New York Times among big winners in February
Visits to India Times’ website were up 48% year-on-year to 234.5 million, possibly due to increased interest in news about the country given India’s upcoming general election in April.
News in brief
The Daily Mail was named Sports Newspaper of the Year at the Sports Journalists' Association awards on Monday. Judges said it "continues to prove there is a place for print journalism that is well directed, professionally written and thoughtfully brought together”. Mail global publisher of sport Lee Clayton dedicated the trophy to Daily Mail tennis correspondent Mike Dickson, who died in January while covering the Australian Open. The specialist correspondent award has been renamed in Dickson's memory. (SJA)
A Women in Journalism event next month will hear from "women who shape the news", including ITN chief executive Rachel Corp, Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, 5 News editor Debbie Ramsay and Guardian political editor Pippa Crerar. (Women in Journalism)
The Society of Editors has backed calls by the Magistrates’ Association for reform of Single Justice Procedure hearings which are heard behind closed doors. It says accredited journalists should be allowed to observe them to boost public confidence. (Society of Editors)
G/O Media has sold The AV Club to Paste Media, the same company that bought Jezebel from them in November, and The Takeout to Static Media, which specialises in food sites. Most jobs are being kept, apart from two AV Club staff members. (The Wrap)
In November Paste also acquired political news site Splinter from G/O Media and it has now revived that brand, which has been dormant since November 2019, with two full-time staff. (Adweek)
The Financial Times is expanding its San Francisco bureau. Peter Spiegel, US managing editor, said: “As the leading global business news organisation, there is no more important global business story for us than the rise of Big Tech..." (FT)
Latest podcast
Podcast 67: Magazine ABCs winners and losers with Nada Arnot of The Economist
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.
Also on Press Gazette
Assange must have death penalty assurance from US say judges considering appeal bid
How Wall Street Journal is keeping ‘spotlight shining’ on Evan Gershkovich one year after arrest
Newsweek editor: We can claim back our place on kitchen tables across America
Widening gulf between weekday and Saturday UK newspaper sales revealed
Top 50 news websites in the US: Climate news start-up The Cool Down enters ranking in February
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Entries are now OPEN for the Future of Media Awards 2024 (which celebrate the best journalism-based digital products). Check out the full list of categories here. Note: These awards are free to enter.