Top 50 global news sites | Daily Maverick shuts for day to sound alarm on journalism
Welcome to your daily newsletter from Press Gazette on Tuesday 16 April.
Our latest data on the world's leading news websites suggests publishers are entering calmer waters in terms of traffic growth.
Nearly every site in our global top 50 grew traffic month-on-month in March compared with the shorter month of February. This follows a tough last 12 months as plunging referral traffic from Facebook and a series of dramatic Google updates at the end of the year hit publisher audience figures.
According to Similarweb, the BBC is the most popular English-language news website in the world, with just under one billion global visits in March.
The best-performing sites in the top ten were the New York Times (up 11% year-on-year) and The India Times (up 60% year-on-year). India has national elections coming up between April and June and in the US the presidential election race is already hotting up. Donald Trump may be the antithesis of everything The New York Times stands for but he is catnip for their traffic figures.
One of South Africa's leading independent news websites The Daily Maverick has deployed a risky tactic to boost its membership programme - switching the site off for 24 hours.
"Without journalism our democracy and economy will break down" is the simple message it left readers in the hope that more of its ten million monthly freeloaders join its 28,000 paying members.
The title reckons South Africa has lost 70% of its journalism workforce since 2009. At a local level at least there has been a similar picture in the UK (according to Press Gazette research).
We also say goodbye today to sweary ITN founder Diana Edward-Jones, who went on to direct the News at Ten.
Her "highly colourful language" reportedly "put troopers to shame". Hopefully, that's a newsroom tradition we can all continue in her honour.
New from Press Gazette
Major South African news site ‘shuts down’ for a day to alert readers to ‘crisis in journalism’
In a statement, the Daily Maverick team said the industry has “so far failed to appropriately convey the urgency and severity of the crisis and its impact on society”.
Top 50 biggest news websites in the world: Newsweek doubles visits year-on-year in March
The news magazine saw visits to its website more than double in March, up 128% year-on-year to 104.1 million, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
ITN ‘trailblazer’ Diana Edwards-Jones dies aged 91
Edwards-Jones was one of the founders of news production company ITN at its creation in 1955, when it began providing ITV with its news service. She was studio floor manager of the first ITN programme and it was her job to cue newsreader Chris Chataway as he did not yet have an earpiece.
News in brief
US reader-supported investigative news outlet The Lever has expanded with the addition of nine journalists - some good news to add to our round-up of layoffs and hiring rounds in 2024. (Press Gazette)
Former Reach editor-in-chief Lloyd Embley has joined a digital PR and campaigns agency that has undergone a management buyout. (Press Gazette)
Journalists at Scottish broadcaster STV have postponed today’s planned strike pending talks resuming this week between management and the NUJ. The scheduled strike on 1 May is currently still planned. One strike day has already taken place over pay.
The New York Times has ended a probe into who leaked details of an unaired episode of The Daily podcast about the Israel-Gaza war after it was unable to come to a definitive conclusion. Staff have been told they need "to maintain confidentiality during the reporting and editing process". (The Daily Beast)
Mehdi Hasan's new outlet Zeteo has officially launched (after weeks of a soft launch). Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein and ex-CNBC chief Washington correspondent John Harwood are among the first contributors. Press Gazette spoke with Hasan last month about his plans for the publisher. (Zeteo)
IAC has given former Disney ABC and Hearst Magazines executives Ben Sherwood and Joanna Coles approximately half the equity in The Daily Beast as part of a bid to turn around the digital tabloid's commercial fortunes. (The New York Times)
Previously on Press Gazette
Sun and Mail neck and neck in terms of UK audience reach – but one edges ahead
Newsguard downgrades credibility scores for New York Times, GB News and Daily Star
Google trials removal of California news sites in response to proposed ‘link tax’
BBC says omission of trans identity of murderer Scarlet Blake was breach of accuracy rules
UK news media rich list 2024: 60 highest-earning execs revealed
Latest podcast
Podcast 68: How to make news pay on Youtube with TLDR News
Founder of video news network TLDR News Jack Kelly explains how he funds an 11-strong editorial team providing serious news for younger viewers on Youtube.
The profitable publisher is funded mainly through the Youtube ad revenue split and direct-sold sponsorship – but also made a successful foray last year into print publishing.
Press Gazette live
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.