The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette

Ben Smith on building a $40m turnover news business in three years

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.

Prince Harry versus tabloids: The final showdown

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.

The rise of paywalls in the regional press with MEN editor Sarah Lester

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.

How to stop working for your CMS and make it work for you

Dominic Ponsford talks to WP Engine director of product management Jason Konen and CTO of Bigbite Jason Agnew about the future of content management.They are both experts in the deployment of WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system. They talked about some of the ways publishers are responding to falling referral traffic by making their websites more immersive and community-focused.They also talked about the ways AI is being used to streamline content production and remove complexity in journalists’ lives.And they have an interesting debate the importance of ensuring your content is seen and cited by the likes of ChatGPT. This episode is sponsored by WP Engine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips on life after Google

Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt speaks to Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips about how the US business brand has changed tack in response to massive changes in the way Google refers traffic to publishers.She said: "I think a lot of publishers were in the same spot, or still are in the same spot. And so for us, it's getting back to those core communities and those businesses and our editorial journalism that we take pride in and protect. And so how do we look at that in new revenue models?"And as the business evolves, as the digital ecosystem changes, there were certain parts of the company that were fully just servicing that digital ecosystem, which is now evaporating quite quickly." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.