The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette
New Statesman Media Group
Press Gazette has covered the world of news media since 1965. This podcast draws on the expertise of our award-winning team and brings in expert voices to explain one theme, idea, strategy or innovation every week.The Future of Media Explained aims to provide industry leaders with the information they need to create commercially successful businesses based on quality content. If you need to know about topics like: cookie-less targeting, data journalism, paywall strategies, content management systems, new publishing revenue strategies and audience growth tactics - then this is the podcast for you. It also aims to provide insight into the biggest challenge of all, how to lead and inspire people on the journey of technology-led change which ever major media company globally is going through.It is hosted by Press Gazette Editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford who is joined every week by a member of the team sharing insights from their area of expertise and featuring interviews with some of the leading names in media globally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
4 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 38min
Tech transformation at ADWEEK with Mike Beyman
Mike Beyman, ADWEEK chief strategy officer who leads operations and product transformation. He talks tech transformation, fixing site performance for big moments, using AI for internal workflows, monetizing content for LLMs, modernizing CMS and live publishing, and reshaping events and memberships to boost revenue and audience engagement.
Feb 26, 2026 • 29min
Reporting Andrew arrest, robot reporters at Mediahuis and Dom's verdict on Prince Harry trial
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.
9 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 36min
Quality not discounts: How The Atlantic is powering subscriber growth
Megha Garibaldi, Chief Growth Officer at The Atlantic, drives subscription strategy with a focus on quality journalism. Graham Page, Head of Media at Q5, advises newsrooms on leadership and cross‑functional teams. They discuss subscription growth without deep discounting. They explore quality traffic over raw scale, organising teams across editorial, product and commercial, and balancing subscriptions with advertising.
Jan 29, 2026 • 49min
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.
Jan 15, 2026 • 26min
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.
Dec 22, 2025 • 49min
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.
11 snips
Dec 11, 2025 • 36min
How to stop working for your CMS and make it work for you
Join Jason Konen, a product management guru at WP Engine with a knack for AI integration, and Jason Agnew, the tech mastermind at Bigbite, as they dive into the evolution of content management. They explore how publishers are tackling declining traffic by enhancing audience engagement and leveraging AI to streamline workflows. From AI-driven citations and immersive storytelling to the importance of personalization and reducing CMS latency, these experts shed light on creating a more efficient and engaging newsroom. Expect insights that could reshape the future of publishing!
13 snips
Nov 20, 2025 • 22min
Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips on life after Google
Sherry Phillips, CEO of Forbes, brings her wealth of experience to the conversation, detailing the significant shifts in media dynamics post-Google. She discusses Forbes' strategic pivot towards community-driven journalism and diversified revenue streams, including events and memberships. Sherry also tackles the impact of AI on traffic and programmatic advertising, revealing how Forbes is embracing new technology with an AI-driven dynamic paywall while ensuring trust in journalism. Her insights on leadership and upcoming initiatives showcase Forbes' commitment to innovation.
Nov 6, 2025 • 24min
Turmoil at The Telegraph, trouble at The Times | Misinformation and the Huntington train stabbings
Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford and UK editor Charlotte Tobitt discuss the latest front in the Telegraph ownership battle, the publication of fake interviews on The Times, and the threat from social media misinformation in the wake of serious incidents like the stabbing on a train in Cambridgeshire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 31, 2025 • 30min
Optimising programmatic advertising: What publishers need to know
Advertising has funded journalism and kept the lights on for democracy since the steam age.But in recent years many publishers have pulled away from relying so heavily on automated programmatic advertising as way of funding free online news.In this episode (sponsored by Assertive Yield) the company’s chief operating office Sherzod Rizaev explains some of the challenges publisher face extracting value from an advertising ecosystem filled with intermediaries all taking a cut.He says publishers don’t have to passively accept declining revenue but can increase their market share by taking back control of the technology which underpins online advertising.He said: “I’m generally optimistic about where we are heading as a publishing industry. We are moving from guesswork and patchwork to a world where publishers can operate with more certainty and precision and confidence of know exactly what they are publishing, how much money they are earning.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
