Prince Harry vs The Sun goes to trial | Former FT US editor on move to Semafor
And content distribution network Newslink set to close
Good morning and welcome to your daily Press Gazette media briefing on Tuesday 21 January.
One outcome is assured from Prince Harry's second mega privacy trial against a UK tabloid publisher: huge legal costs for both sides.
I've set the scene here for the seven-week privacy trial at the High Court which pits Harry and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson against The Sun’s publisher.
It will be fascinating to find out the extent to which The Sun was involved in illegal newsgathering - something it has always denied.
As former Sun royal editor Duncan Larcombe told me in November, the sources of many of the stories at the heart of the claim may be less sinister than Harry suspects.
He said: "When I was at The Sun we covered whatever Harry did because the readers loved him. We would often get a call from a Sun reader at Johannesburg Airport or wherever and say I’ve just seen Prince Harry. That is how we would get stories."
There's an argument that publishers should stop seeking more readers and focus on getting better ones if they want to make journalism sustainable.
Semafor appears to be taking this to extremes with an email newsletter which it claims will only be available to CEOs of companies with turnover in excess of $500m.
We spoke to the editor of the new service, former FT US news editor Andrew Edgeliffe-Johnson, about why less is more when it comes to his new audience.
And Newslink, an electronic content distributor whose origins precede the internet, has gone bust. Newslink provided a way for agencies and freelances to securely share stories and pictures with newsdesks ensuring they did not get lost in the morass of emails. Its closure is sign of the perilous market for news agencies and freelance journalists in the UK.
On Press Gazette
David Sherborne, representing Prince Harry, outside the Rolls Buildings in central London for the phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers. Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
Comment: Harry versus the press round two — lawyers will be big winners of Sun trial
The point of civil litigation is to reach a settlement for damage caused. The problem for The Sun and publisher News Group Newspapers, which also published the now-defunct News Of The World, is that Prince Harry is not motivated by money but rather revenge and a burning sense of injustice for past wrongs.
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson explains move from FT to niche Semafor CEO newsletter
In common with other Semafor products, The CEO Signal is free for its audience, generating revenue for the company by attracting influential or wealthy audiences and monetising their attention with direct-sold ads.
Content distribution network Newslink announces closure
Newslink’s history goes back to pre-world wide web 1986 and it describes itself as “the largest independent news aggregation and delivery service in the UK”.
News in brief
Mike Stares, a freelance known for royal scoops, has died aged 86. (Press Gazette)
Newspaper journalists and reporters saw the biggest earnings drop in 2024 (of 23.3%) per analysis of ONS data by The Telegraph. Newspaper editors were also in the bottom ten, down 6.2%. Newspaper/periodical editors also saw a 42.9% drop in job numbers. (The Telegraph)
BBC North America editor Sarah Smith says BBC Verify will be unable to "point out every inaccuracy" said by Trump. "Also, I think that in itself starts to look a little partisan and we want to be absolutely clear that we’re completely impartial..." (The i Paper)
The Guardian says 32 people will give evidence in court supporting its defence against a libel claim brought by Noel Clarke. Six are editorial staff and 26 say they are victims of, witnesses to or otherwise able to corroborate the allegations against him. (The Guardian)
Le Monde has said it will stop publishing to X and recommends its journalists do the same. The French paper will also "increase our vigilance on platforms such as Tiktok and Meta" following remarks made by Mark Zuckerberg this month on Joe Rogan's podcast. (Le Monde)
Also on Press Gazette:
Journalist faces criminal charge for highlighting porn shared by former MP on X
How Forbes makes money: Business title’s leaders explain diversification strategy
2025 journalism job cuts tracked: Washington Post, Huffpost and Vox layoffs start year
Sam McBride on making journalism worth paying for at the Belfast Telegraph
Who’s suing AI and who’s signing: Major deals with Google, OpenAI and Mistral start year
Six things publishers should do now to protect themselves from AI scrapers
Alamy sends journalist £460 bill for posting link to their own story
Latest podcast
Podcast 81: AI tipping point in 2025: What publishers need to know
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.