Charlotte Tobitt

@charlottetobitt.bsky.social

News, features and analysis about the news media business. UK editor at @pressgazette.co.uk - get me on charlotte.tobitt@pressgazette.co.uk

I usually forget to share my stuff on Bluesky, but I should flag this one that I'm particularly proud of: what happened when we found out about a 'freelance journalist' called 'Margaux Blanchard' who had got published in Wired and Business Insider pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/d...

Wired and Business Insider remove 'AI-written' freelance articles

Wired and Business Insider have removed freelance articles over concerns they were written by AI under a fake name.

pressgazette.co.uk

My favourite thing about this piece by Colin Freeman is the emphasis on how great local newspapers were/are as a place to start for young journalists. "Yet like many in my trade, I regard my days on local papers as the most useful in my career." www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

The sad decline of the local paper

King Charles praised local news – but the industry, which once covered everything from councils to courts, is fading fast. Can it be revived?

spectator.co.uk

Aside from the financial results themselves, really interested to see Jim Mullen highlight the customer experience on Reach sites. He says they are rolling out a new website platform which is tripling page loading speed pressgazette.co.uk/media_busine...

Cost cuts and growing digital revenue boost Reach profits for 2024

Reach results 2024: Cost cuts and digital growth helped Reach grow profits for 2024 as overall revenue declines.

pressgazette.co.uk

Three incredibly striking front pages today: 1. Daily Mail taking a massive stand on AI ahead of the Govt consultation closing. 2. The Sun: "paedo spotted spluttering on vape"! 3. New York Post calling out Trump and Putin. I have seen all three of these praised today: the power of print lives on!

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It's a tough choice but here is my favourite of Tom's commandments: "And here is another thing to remember every time you sit down at the keyboard: a little sign that says "Nobody has to read this crap.""

Press Gazette@pressgazette.co.uk · last yr.

Former Guardian science editor, letters editor, arts editor and literary editor Tim Radford - who once wrote 25 'commandments for journalists' - has died aged 84. https://buff.ly/41fhcY4 The commandments are here and still relevant today: https://buff.ly/2IZqhK5

@charlottetobitt.bsky.social covers our new paywalls study at @pressgazette.co.uk. Fully study: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... We dug into millions of visits to paywalled articles at 21 news websites to see what prevented & prompted visitors starting & finishing the subscription journey.

Press Gazette@pressgazette.co.uk · last yr.

And how best to get people to subscribe in the first place? New research suggests less can be more on paywalled websites https://buff.ly/4hGjjtR

Fascinating interview with Will Hayward who left Wales Online to relaunch his newsletter on his own and said it has proved a financial "no-brainer". Publishers are going to have to reckon with the fact a lot of their top talent could earn more on their own pressgazette.co.uk/newsletters/...

Will Hayward says quitting Wales Online to launch Substack was financial 'no-brainer'

Former Reach Welsh affairs editor Will Hayward has said going solo via Substack has proved to be a financial “no-brainer”.

pressgazette.co.uk

For a few years now the Mail has been slowly combining its print and digital operations, in part getting rid of duplicated work between Mail Online and the papers. This is believed to be the final stage. Double-digit job cuts (so 99 or fewer) expected. pressgazette.co.uk/news/mail-do...

Major job cuts at Mail titles in final stage of digital-first transition

The Mail plans to make up to 100 job cuts as it brings its print and online teams "fully together to create a dynamic digital-first newsroom"

pressgazette.co.uk

Enjoyed outgoing Daily Star editor Jon Clark's entire quote about his departure: “It’s been fun.” Big shake-up as new Daily Star editor-in-chief will be focused on online for the first time, with the print editor reporting to him. pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/n...

Daily Star editor Jon Clark to leave amid new digital-first strategy

Daily Star editor-in-chief Jon Clark is stepping down as a "more digitally-focused structure" comes into place.

pressgazette.co.uk

An absolutely remarkable judgment. Court of Appeal says judge was "unfair" to the media including because he said "with such vehemence… that the journalists had been guilty of inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible reporting" and was sarcastic about a Dispatches prog pressgazette.co.uk/news/journal...

Sara Sharif murder case judges to be named after 'unfair' treatment of journalists

Journalists have won their appeal to be able to name three judges who dealt with schoolgirl Sara Sharif's case in the family court.

pressgazette.co.uk

Fascinating to discover the tech world is currently obsessed with using the Chatham House Rule “There’s no clear reason why we’re using it,” he said. “I haven’t noticed people saying spicier stuff.” sfstandard.com/2025/01/11/c...

Why is every Bay Area event imposing Chatham House Rules?

An archaic English gag rule is enforcing silence everywhere in the Bay Area, from health conferences to AI salons to dinner parties.

sfstandard.com

In which I give some analysis of the Tortoise-Observer deal, share our biggest British Journalism Awards winners, shout out some women in journalism.. oh and also reveal my sister-in-law is obsessed with Gavin & Stacey and that I have a soft spot for a Netflix rom com (One Day and Nobody Wants This)

The Media Club@themediaclub.com · 2y ago

Ofcom puts the breaks on Radio 2 Extra, Tortoise grabs The Observer, Gregg-gate latest plus TV for 2025. The @radiotimes.bsky.social's Caroline Frost and @pressgazette.co.uk's @charlottetobitt.bsky.social join @mattdeegan.com. Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpbU... Listen: pod.fo/e/293df1

Big day for media takeover news in the UK: The Observer and Tortoise make their deal official, while the 3rd-biggest regional publisher National World agrees a takeover by marketing business and Irish local publisher Media Concierge. Both are expected to take effect in Q1 (spring for The Observer)

Some remarkable quotes from Observer staff's furious meeting with management. One journalist asked The Scott Trust's chair if he knew his name (he didn't). "To care about the Guardian and Observer you have to know us, you have to read us, you have to care..." pressgazette.co.uk/news/scott-t...

Scott Trust and Guardian management face staff fury over Observer sale

Guardian and Scott Trust leaders faced furious staff as they faced questions about the plan agreed to sell The Observer to Tortoise.

pressgazette.co.uk