Mat Kenyon


Spotlight 08 Informed


“People are thinking that journalism does not mater as much, partly because Donald Trump and others are bypassing mainstream journalism and going to sympathetic alternative media,” says Nic Newman of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Te RISJ has surveyed the news industry’s mood, asking executives if they were optimistic about the future. Only 41% were - a significant reduction from the 60% who felt upbeat three years ago.


Back in 2022, Informed also took the Brighter days ahead?


Ian Burrell considers the outlook on journalism for this year.


It has been a difficult start to the year for traditional journalists. In January, 7,400 influencers applied for the precious passes to atend White House press briefings, just as venerable news organisations, including the Associated Press and CNN, were denied access. “Whether you are a TikTok content


creator, a blogger, a podcaster - if you are producing legitimate news content, no mater the medium - you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House,” declared Donald’s Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavit. Te morphing of media channels is undermining established structures for news-gathering - and it suits certain politicians to encourage that. Tis circumvention of traditional media is one of the reasons for a sharp fall in confidence within the news sector.


temperature of the industry and found reasons for positivity, despite a decade of predictions that text-led news outlets would not survive the commercial damage being inflicted on them by digital change. We found that lockdown reading habits had highlighted the value of trusted news, encouraging online subscriptions and helping publishers to profitability. But doubts are creeping back in as digital growth stalls. “Te finance is unpredictable,” says Newman. “Te decline of print revenues is faster than the growth of subscriptions which are prety much flat.” He accepts, however, that several UK publishers are in a strong position. “Tere is definitely a class of upmarket newspapers who are doing prety well.” Te FT Group made more than £500m in revenues last year, a new record. Telegraph Media Group reports increased turnover despite prolonged uncertainty over who will buy the business from the Barclay family. News UK’s Times Media declared a small uptick in revenues, although its profits were slightly down. At the other end of the scale, specialist journalists, including political commentator David Aaronovitch and sports writer Henry Winter, have embraced self-publishing. At minimal cost, they are building niche businesses on newsleter platforms, such as Substack. Te most vulnerable publishers in


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