‘Forced maturity’: The year Ukraine’s newsrooms stopped waiting for donor funding to save them

Collapsing USAID, mobilisation pressure, and sheer exhaustion made 2025 the toughest year on record for Ukraine’s regional media, the Media Development Foundation’s latest study found. But the crisis also pushed a donor-dependent sector to finally test what sustainability without grants might look like.

How you can take part in World News Day 2026

The challenges facing journalism are no longer predictions about the future – they are our daily reality, and they are intensifying. But something else is intensifying too: the need for trusted journalism and our solidarity.

World Press Trends 2026-27: Have your say on news industry trends, threats and opportunities

Every year, publishing executives from around the world share their insights, data and projections in our annual survey and report. We are now asking news leaders to share their views to help inform the next version of our flagship report.

EBRA Group’s transformation plan: focus on local presence and invest in people

The French regional publisher’s five-year plan aims to tackle the “paradox” of local journalism: “Society needs it more than ever, while the economic model that supports it is becoming increasingly fragile,” said Sophie Gourmelen.

‘Quality publishers are stronger together’ – Ozone offers strength in numbers

For many news publishers, the best chance of increasing their digital advertising revenues and market share is by being part of an advertising alliance. Launched in 2018 by four large UK publishers, Ozone has expanded to the United States and Europe, and today includes some of the world’s biggest media brands.

Inspired tactics, part 2: Tech turns readers into subscribers

In this second part of a four-part series on news subscriptions, guest writer Bihag Karnani looks at what occurs before the conversion; the moment when a reader decides if he/she will pay. “News media organisations treat the paywall as a barrier,” he writes. “Technology companies treat the paywall as an evaluation mechanism. Do we request payment? At what point? How much?” This article looks at these questions and more.

Tribute to Fred Burkhardt, former IFRA CEO

The news media industry recently lost one of its pioneers with the passing of Dr. Friedrich W. Burkhardt on 19 June, 2026. He was 97. As Managing Director of IFRA from 1972 to 1994, he guided the association and the international newspaper community through one of the most profound technological transitions in its history.

He’s found 15,000+ fake AI news sites. Here’s what you need to know…

French investigative journalist and educator Jean-Marc Manach has spent two years tracking AI-generated ‘news’ sites and has identified more than 15,000 of them – some earning millions of dollars by gaming Google Discover. He explains how to spot them, and why the industry should be worried.

Spain’s SPORT explores new forms of AI assistance for print production

As newsrooms adopt digital-first workflows, Spanish news outlet SPORT is exploring how AI can help organise and adapt content for print without compromising editorial judgement or the publication’s identity.

WAN-IFRA appoints Ezra Eeman as Director, AI in Media

Frankfurt, Germany – WAN-IFRA has appointed Ezra Eeman as Director, AI in Media, reinforcing its commitment to helping news publishers worldwide harness the opportunities of artificial intelligence while navigating the profound changes it is bringing to journalism and the media business.