How Belfast Telegraph publisher made it to 100k online subs | GB News takes on USA
And how Mediahuis is persuading 18 to 25-year-olds to pay for online news
Welcome to your daily Press Gazette media briefing on Monday, 30 June.
The Belfast Telegraph and Irish Independent may have channelled the spirit of Robert the Bruce* in their battle to persuade readers to pay for online news.
The Ireland-based titles have tried and failed to launch online paywalls three times since 2008.
But in a victory to rival The Bruce's defeat of the English at Bannockburn in 1314, Mediahuis Ireland has now racked up 100,000 paying online readers.
We also have news from the Mediahuis homeland where its subscription businesses are more advanced. The publisher of Belgium national newsbrands like De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad already has 432,000 subscriptions and is now setting its sights on persuading those aged 25 and under to pay for news.
To paraphrase the title’s subs marketing chief Katia Debusschere, it is bloody hard work. But with 3,000 youth subscribers so far, it can be done. Full story here.
And the battle between GB News and News UK, which previously played out on Freeview in the UK, is transferring to Youtube and the United States.
She will be going up against former Sun political editor Harry Cole who is also set to launch a nightly show broadcast on Youtube out of the US capital.
*Legend has it that Scottish rebel leader Robert The Bruce was hiding out in a cave when he witnessed a spider repeatedly swinging between two points to try and spin its thread. It inspired him to take one more crack against the English and secure independence for his people.
On Press Gazette
Paywall launch was fourth-time lucky for Belfast Telegraph publisher
Mediahuis Ireland CEO Peter Vandermeersch talks about road to 100,000 online subscriptions and beyond.
Mediahuis Belgium’s battle to persuade young to pay for news
Subscription for under 26 to newsbrands like De Standaard has around 3,200 people signed up.
GB News to broadcast nightly from US in ‘huge moment’ for channel
GB News says it marks "huge moment" with US expansion.
News diary 30 June – 6 July: Oasis reunion tour starts, Wimbledon, British Grand Prix
A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.
News in brief
Channel 4 will broadcast the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack that was dropped by the BBC over concerns it “risked creating a perception of partiality”. Channel 4 news boss says they believe the film provides a "duly impartial view..." (The Times)
Google is trying out letting users in the US and India personalise their search results by choosing their "preferred sources" for the Top Stories box. (Google)
Google has also added a tool in Ad Manager for publishers to try new types of monetisation by asking readers to, for example, watch a short ad, complete a survey or pay a micropayment before accessing their content. (Techcrunch)
Trump threatened to sue The New York Times and CNN for reporting on an intelligence finding that US strikes on Iran only set its nuclear programme back by a few months. The NYT said: "No apology will be forthcoming. We told the truth to the best of our ability." (NYT)
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is seeking $787m in defamation damages from Fox News claiming it deceptively edited footage to give the impression he lied about a phone call to Donald Trump. (The Guardian)
The BBC is launching two new generative AI pilots for news production: creating bullet-point summaries at the top of longer articles and reformatting local democracy reporter and other stories into house style. (BBC)
The Federation of Independent Retailers has criticised News UK for raising prices but not the retail margin: "Many independent retailers will be unable to survive in business, if News UK and other publishers continue to accompany cover price rises with cuts to our terms." The weekday Times is going up to £3.20 from 14 July while The Sun weekday going to £1.20, Saturday to £1.60 and £1.90. (NFRN)
On Press Gazette
BBC News targets news avoiders with ‘inspiring and uplifting’ stories
Google’s site reputation abuse policy: the wrong solution to a real problem
Brand safety: Why social is far more risky than news for marketers
The PR agency, the publishers and the disappearing lottery winners
Outsourcing your content licensing: Five reasons why (promoted)
How SFGATE is making local news pay and filling California’s news gaps
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