The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette

Episodes

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  Rise of creator journalists, free newspaper woes, and demise of Quartz 26.10.2026 30m

  Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford and UK editor Charlotte Tobitt discuss why major cuts are coming at Metro as it seeks to get “back on a sustainable footing”, and the rise of creator journalists like Marina Hyde who has left The Guardian for her own Substack brand.Journalist Rob Waugh also joins to discuss his reporting on tech journalism brand Quartz, where the website is now mostly filled by one hugely prolific journalist heavily aided by AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Why The Guardian is embracing creator-led journalism 01.10.2026 37m

  The Guardian is currently investing heavily in video and creator-led journalism. Head of Guardian Studios Leah Green explains what creator content means for The Guardian and why it is investing so much effort in developing new video formats. Head of media at Q5 Graham Page explains what all this means in the context of the wider UK journalism landscape.This episode was sponsored by Q5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Advance Local on going from zero to 250,000 online subs 25.09.2026 36m

  US local news publisher Advance Local has gone from zero to 250,000 paid digital subscribers in the last eight years.SVP for digital consumer revenue Ann Poe explained how the group evolved from a simple premium content mode to having a dynamic paywall which makes decisions on whether to gate content based on individual users.VP for sales at Mather Ariel Burkett explained how Mather's Sophi platform ingests user data to present individuals with an offer most likely to maximise revenue for the publisher.This episode is sponsored by Mather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Everything is changing, says Wordpress VIP's Brian Alvey: Here's how publishers should react 04.09.2026 34m

  Online entrepreneur Brian Alvey has been building publisher websites pretty much since the world wide web began in the mid 1990s.Having lived and worked through every wave of dramatic digital disruption since then, the Wordpress VIP chief technology officer knows what he is saying when he says about AI “This wave is up there with fire, steam engines, electricity and refrigeration.” He explains why the AI revolution is fundamentally different to previous changes in online publishing and shares how publishers should react.They must embrace AI, he says, to automate workflows and speed the pace of development whilst avoiding both AI and human slop.And above all publishers must cherish and promote their direct and owned relationships with their audience (via websites and email).(This episode was sponsored by Wordpress VIP) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How Hello! fought back after saying goodbye to Google Discover traffic 06.08.2026 44m

  Hello! magazine was one of many publishers that saw website referrals from Google Discover plummet last year.Chief content officer Sophie Vokes-Dudgeon talked Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt through the "year of transformation" that has followed.Hello! has fought back by making the most out of syndication channels while building its own community for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Mike Soutar on what today's media leaders can learn from Genghis Khan 23.07.2026 38m

  Dominic Ponsford asks magazine industry titan Mike Soutar how to tackle modern publishing industry challenges looking at the lessons of history.The Shortlist Media founder and former IPC Media director is something of a history buff. And he has just launched a new eight-part podcast series with Immediate Media’s History Extra called History’s Greatest Leaders.How would Genghis Khan or Elizabeth I go about tackling an unequal struggle with tech titans, or deal with the decline of a magazine publishing empire? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Prince Harry goes beyond the pale after his big Mail fail 14.07.2026 53m

  In this special edition, Charlotte Tobitt and Dominic Ponsford unpick the fallout from Prince Harry and others' historic privacy action failure against Associated Newspapers.Includes interviews with media lawyer Louis Charalambous who said Prince Harry should apologise for a post-trial statement which was "beyond the pale" and which proved he is a terrible loser. We also heard from former Daily Mail showbiz editor Nicole Lampert about the "terrifying" ordeal of having her reputation put on trial on the basis of zero evidence.What happens next? Charalambous gives his view on Harry's chances of winning an appeal and explains who is likely to pick up the £50 million legal bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Advertising goes agentic, publishers get punchy over AI and new dawn for Telegraph 03.07.2026 33m

  In this episode Dom returns from Cannes with a severe case of yacht envy brought on by Axios, Press Gazette's AI summit reveals a publishing community getting increasingly punchy over the theft of their content and Charlotte explains why Telegraph journalists are feeling cheerful about being taken over by the Germans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Publishers versus LLMs: Trusted Reviews is leading fightback 18.06.2026 37m

  Candr Media CEO Chris Dicker has seen its flagship website - Trusted Reviews - be pillaged by AI bots over the last 18 months.He spoke to Press Gazette about a new legal tactic which uses a branch of law dating back to the Romans to secure justice and perhaps force big tech to the negotiating table. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Thai police jokester drags down UK press standards 03.06.2026 30m

  In the latest edition, Dominic Ponsford and Charlotte Tobitt talk about the latest changes to Google search. Agentic search will probably stay niche, but forcing AI mode into conventional search queries is a new threat to publisher referral traffic. They also discuss the publishing dilemma du jour - should publishers block LLMs or do all they can to optimise content to show up in ChatGPT-style answers? And publishers in the UK and US have been caught out by another AI-generated hoax. What can we learn from the curious case of the 'LADYBOYS IN BLUE' - the Thai police officers who didn't dress as carnival dancers to carry out an undercover drug dealer arrest? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Better call Louis: Lawyer to press victims tells all 21.05.2026 37m

  Media lawyer Louis Charalambous represented victims of some of worst lapses in press standards during the 2000s. He went on to represent newspapers in libel battles against a violent gangster, 'wife beating' Hollywood star and others. He says press standards have improved, times are hard for both claimants and publishers and explains why Prince Harry's colossal privacy claim against Associated Newspapers is looking a bit iffy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Axios shift from volume to value 07.05.2026 33m

  Axios dropped its output by almost a quarter but increased page views by almost a third at the start of 2026.Head of news Ben Berkowitz told Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt about why they stopped chasing clicks and started focusing on stories that "actually matter".Berkowitz also shared his advice for other newsroom leaders going through a similar strategy change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Less is more at The Times, Standard's long decline and future of The Telegraph 23.04.2026 27m

  Dominic Ponsford and Charlotte Tobitt discuss what led The Standard to where it is today, with just 16 staff left to create the weekly print title after a digital takeover by Independent Media.They also cover why less is more at The Times, and the future of The Telegraph after almost three years in limbo as Axel Springer received government approval for the takeover. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How Wall Street Journal supercharged online subs growth 02.04.2026 27m

  Since former Sunday Times editor Emma Tucker moved to New York to head up the Wall Street Journal, online subs are up 30% to 4.3 million.Charlotte Tobitt explains why tough choices have worked out for the world's most popular financial news brand.Is it ever possible to keep sources secret in the today's surveillance age? The Guardian may have cracked this problem and is sharing it with the world.And Dominic Ponsford reveals how Press Gazette came under attack from black hat SEO operatives trying to silence reporting about the darker side of the SEO industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Tech transformation at ADWEEK with Mike Beyman 19.03.2026 38m

  ADWEEK chief strategy officer Mike Beyman talks AI, tech transformation and new forms of advertising for publishers with Press Gazette editor in chief Dominic Ponsford. This episode was sponsored by WordPress VIP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Reporting Andrew arrest, robot reporters at Mediahuis and Dom's verdict on Prince Harry trial 26.02.2026 28m

  Dominic Ponsford and Charlotte Tobitt talk about how journalists broke news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest and why they named him despite the privacy risk.They also discuss a plan by Mediahuis to cover "first-line" news with AI agents, and Dom gives his (somewhat premature) verdict on the Prince Harry and others versus Associated Newspapers privacy trial. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Quality not discounts: How The Atlantic is powering subscriber growth 13.02.2026 36m

  Atlantic Media’s chief growth officer Megha Garibaldi explained how the next phase of growth for the title needs a focus on “quality traffic” as referral sources decline across news media.Also joining the discussion with Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford was specialist media management consultant Graham Page of Q5.The Atlantic already has more than 1.4 million subscribers but Garibaldi sees plenty of scope for more growth. She also stressed that strong journalism remains the foundation of subscription growth, rather than deep discounting.Q5 head of media Graham Page highlighted the importance of publishers having cross-functional teams spanning editorial, product and commercial departments, unified around clear leadership priorities and metrics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Ben Smith on building a $40m turnover news business in three years 29.01.2026 49m

  Media start-up Semafor reached profitability in 2025 with revenue of $40m, in the third full year after its October 2022 launch.Co-founder and editor-in-chief Ben Smith joined Press Gazette’s UK editor Charlotte Tobitt in London to discuss how the business became an overnight success in a difficult climate for media overall.Smith discussed Semafor’s expansion plans, why its initial bet on video didn’t work out, why it still doesn’t have a paywall, and shared his advice for other media business founders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Prince Harry versus tabloids: The final showdown 15.01.2026 25m

  Prince Harry is facing the publisher of the Daily Mail in what is set to be one Britain's biggest ever privacy trials.Costs for both sides could top £40m.Harry has accused the Mail of commissioning burglary, phone tapping and voicemail interception. The Mail denies everything and accuses Prince Harry's legal team of using cash payments to witnesses to bolster their case.Dominic Ponsford looks back to the News of the World front page in 2008 which started the war on UK tabloids which has raged since then.He also discusses the questionable evidence-gathering tactics which the Daily Mail believes undermine Prince Harry's Case and explains why the backing of co-claimant Elton John means this final legal battle is set to go the distance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The rise of paywalls in the regional press with MEN editor Sarah Lester 22.12.2025 48m

  Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt speaks to Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester shortly after the UK's biggest regional newsbrand added a premium paywall to its website.The conversation also covers frustrations with Google, the role of the editor in 2025, the threat of fake experts degrading journalists' relationship with PRs, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.