Good morning from the team at Press Gazette on Tuesday, 11 August.
🗽 As the US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British crown this year it is imposing new visa restrictions on reporters from overseas.
From next month, foreign journalists will need to renew their visa applications every 240 days raising fears this will lead to self censorship.
There are also concerns that long delays on renewal applications could lead to reporters losing their right to work.
Luckily for the cause of American revolutionaries, there were no such I-visa restrictions in the years 1774 to 1776 when English journalist Thomas Paine was writing the pamphlets credited with turning public opinion against the colonial authorities.
🗞️ The local newspaper in the birthplace of the US revolution – The Boston Globe – is a profitable journalism success story, after nearly going out of business following the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent collapse in local print newspaper revenues in the UK and US.
We spoke to CEO Linda Henry about how it plans to take digital subscriptions into the next phase of growth by investing in deeper editorial coverage of local news, sport, politics and business.
It has grown to 313,000 digital subscribers with a consistent promotion offering six months for $1 (currently rising to $27.72 per month after the trial ends).
With such a generous free offer the focus is on getting more readers in the front door to sample what the Globe has to offer and then investing in sufficient content to ensure they stick around.
🌍 And there is good news for the BBC which cemented its position as the most popular English language news website in the world in July 2026 with one billion website visits, per Similarweb, up 11% year on year.
It was one of only 12 sites in our global top 50 ranking to grow traffic year on year. Substack grew visits by 40% to 175 million and The Guardian was up 2% to 305 million.
Business Insider was one of the biggest fallers – down 45% year on year and 12% month on month to 42 million visits. New CEO of the title Christian Baesley told Press Gazette this month how growth of its non-website audience on newsletters and platforms like Youtube and LinkedIn is now a big commercial focus for the brand.
Ninth placed Dailymail.com was flat year on year and up 8% month on month with 234 million visits in July – a great result for a popular newsbrand in the current market.
The stories that matter break locally first, in local publications, in local languages, days before they reach the wires. Journalist.net gives you access to both halves of that: the coverage and the people.
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Walmart’s gaming outlet Restart has laid off its five-strong editorial team around 18 months after launch. (Press Gazette)
Prospect has cancelled the Media Confidential podcast hosted by its ex-editor Alan Rusbridger and ex-Financial Times editor Lionel Barber, who said the decision was made "in a bid to save pennies". (Lionel Barber)
A journalist at Dispatch has investigated the ecosystem that has led to writers in Kenya inundating commissioning editors in the UK and US with AI-written pitches about often fake stories. (Dispatch)
Ofcom is investigating a GB News programme in which a guest made comments about Pride in London that appeared to link it to paedophilia. More than 12,000 people filed complaints. (The Guardian)
Newsquest has appointed former New European editor Jasper Copping as editor of the Eastern Daily Press (where he was most recently head of news) and Nick Francis as editor of the Colchester Gazette.
A National Council for the Training of Journalists report about the use of AI in journalism in the UK has found a general approach of "cautious innovation" and a mixture of a good introduction into the newsroom and a "bumpy" one. (NCTJ)
USA Today unions have called on the company to end its partnership with technology company Palantir, saying that it threatens readers' online safety and trust in the company. (Poynter)
The US Society of Professional Journalists is revising its ethics guidelines for the first time since 2014, likely striking the line that journalism should “give voice to the voiceless". (Columbia Journalism Review)
Christian Baesler shares his growth plans for Business Insider after being named permanent CEO.
One app to service all BBC language users outside UK and US.
Joanne shares her insights from a 30-year career in media.
Hello! is making the most of platforms like Apple News and MSN while it builds paid memberships.
People Inc (formerly IAC) reveals 2% revenue fall in second quarter.
Hello! magazine was one of many publishers that saw website referrals from Google Discover plummet last year.
Chief content officer Sophie Vokes-Dudgeon talked Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt through the “year of transformation” that has followed.
Hello! has fought back by making the most out of syndication channels while building its own community for the future.
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