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Fighting for journalism and profitable news media
Journalist given £14k FOI bill | Food newsletter launches with eight staff
And Sky News moves into paid online content with defence app
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Good morning from the team at Press Gazette on Tuesday, 21 April.
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🚨 For all its shortcomings, the UK’s Freedom of Information Act is at least free. Until now.
Journalist Barnie Choudhury has been hit with an outrageous £14,270 costs order for having the temerity to take legal action forcing the Judicial Appointments Commission to comply with an FOI request.
It is the first time I have ever heard of an official body targeting a journalist in this way for doing their duty and seeking the disclosure of information in the public interest.
The UK state should be doing all it can to encourage investigators like Choudhury who are doing their bit to keep society honest and hold those who carelessly and secretly wield power without oversight to account.
If this costs order is allowed to stand, the chilling effect will be immeasurable because the sort of journalism Choudhury does is economically marginal at the best of times.
It is another example of the urgent need for legislation to protect public interest journalism from legal intimidation.
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The New York-based title has adopted a playbook that is proving increasingly effective as business models for journalism adjust to a world where having a deeply engaged audience is far more important than having a large one.
It’s pursuing paid subscriptions, targeting a particular niche where it can add real value, investing in heavy-hitting newsroom experts and rapidly expanding into events as a way to bring in early revenue.
The newsletter model (powered by Beehiiv) allows Caper to own its audience and have a direct relationship without need for reliance on fickle friends like Facebook and Google.
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🪖 Sky News is also investing in niche content as a way to find its first online subscriptions revenue.
Sky News executive chairman David Rhodes told The Sunday Times at the weekend that he has not been given a target for when the loss-making channel needs to turn a profit.
But the fact remains that from 2028, owner Comcast is no longer committed to funding the channel at the current rate of £100m a year. After that time, profitability is going to become its best safeguard against possible cutbacks.