In defence of corporate-backed local news | Exclusive lifestyle websites ranking
And staff at National World's flagship national news site warn of "rock-bottom" morale.
Good morning and welcome to your daily media news briefing on Tuesday 5 September, 2023.
Today’s newsletter is brought to you in association with Norkon, the company behind Fantasy Funds, the award-winning stock market game for best user engagement.
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Is there really a mass market out there for local public interest journalism and will readers pay for it?
The answer is no, according to chief digital publisher of Reach David Higgerson.
He has responded to former editor Michael Gilson's suggestion in Press Gazette that companies like his should be allowed to wither and die. Higgerson argues that the big corporate publishers continue to invest in local news and employ thousands of journalists. Staying relevant to the majority of readers is the biggest challenge for Reach, he says, and debates over ownership miss the point.
Higgerson admits that this year has been "brutal" though for the regional press - a point which is underlined at National World, where staff on the regional titles are set to strike over pay and an email to HR from NUJ members at the company's national news site suggests there are severe concerns from rank and file over recent cutbacks and management changes.
This morning we also have an exclusive ranking of the most popular lifestyle news websites for men and women in the UK. Most have seen steep drops year on year, but there are also some soaraway success stories.
Promoted report:
Sweden’s main financial newspaper attracts 17K+ players with Drömportföljen investing game
Every newspaper deals with the same challenges of growing and engaging their audience. Dagens industri (Di), Sweden’s main financial newspaper and part of Bonnier Group, was looking for new ways to attract and engage new readers as well as to provide a hands-on but risk-free stock market trading experience. The newspaper turned to stock market trading gamification Fantasy Funds to provide an engaging experience.
Just as the human brain is wired for stories, we’re also strongly inclined to engage with games. Read more about their experience, lessons learned and insights from players on their motivations to join the contest to become Sweden’s next (fictional) millionaire.
New from Press Gazette:
Comment: If the big corporate publishers disappeared so would much local news investment
“Local journalism needs to be – as it always has been – about far more than the public interest journalism that often takes the spotlight in debates about the future of local journalism.”
NationalWorld.com staff say morale at ‘rock bottom’ in letter to HR
“All the issues above have created a horrible working environment and, sadly, the behaviour of some of our managers is only fuelling the misery".”
Ranked: Most popular women’s and men’s lifestyle websites in UK in 2023
Twenty of the 28 women’s brands in our ranking for which year-on-year change data is available saw audience decline in July.
Future of Media Explained podcast
Our podcast is on a summer break (returning soon!) - but you can catch up on everything from paywall strategies to AI in the newsroom here.
News in brief:
Broadcaster Colin Brazier has left journalism after 40 years, signing off from LBC without fanfare last week. Brazier announced on Friday he was leaving the industry to study farming... (Press Gazette)Nish Kumar and Josh Widdicombe are joining more newsrooms, including the Isle of Wight County Press and South Wales Argus, to try their hands at local journalism for a second series of their show Hold The Front Page. Here's what we made of the first series. (South Wales Argus)A play about Martin Bashir's Panorama interview with Princess Diana will use a "very limited" number of quotes after receiving legal advice: "two or three lines – but only ones well known and famous enough to be in the public domain as historical quotes". The BBC itself has pledged to never air or license the actual footage of the interview again, with a possible exception for short extracts used for a journalistic purpose. (The Independent)Guardian readers are concerned that the publisher's ban on being scraped by ChatGPT will lead to the platform's views being shaped by "the bile and prejudices of the rightwing press". (The Guardian)Previously on Press Gazette:
Journalist quits Meta job after Edinburgh-focused Substack takes off
Ex-ITV News journalist Amber de Botton leaves No 10 job after less than a year
Sophy Ridge and Trevor Phillips on Sky’s ‘big investment’ in politics
