Publisher App Data 2025, Gannett’s Subs Pivot, OpenAI Warnings...
We’re now in peak vacation season in the northern hemisphere—and I’m no exception. I’ll be off visiting my homeland, Wales, so there’ll be no newsletter next week. That said, stories often get posted in the WNIP LinkedIn Group, a carefully moderated space of 3,500+ publishing professionals. Please join us. If you’re also on holiday, have a great RnR!
Today’s Long Read is a teardown of Pugpig’s Media App Report 2025, highlighting how publishers are no longer viewing apps as a bolt-on, but rather a cornerstone of their reader engagement strategies. Covering 135 publishers worldwide, including Hearst, Springer Nature, and Future Plc, the report is a timely guide.
Let’s crack on…
Dotdash Meredith Becomes People Inc.
What’s behind the rebrand of Dotdash Meredith? A post-search pivot toward human-centered storytelling, with a focus on 19 flagship brands—People, Allrecipes, InStyle, Food & Wine, etc. The investment in D/Cipher+ (AI‑powered ad targeting) underlines the shift. The other 21 titles in their portfolio? Sink or swim. P.S. Martha Stewart can sleep soundly.
AI Conversations Are Being Stored on the Wayback Machine
Henk van Ess has uncovered 110k+ ChatGPT conversations preserved on Archive.org’s Wayback Machine, representing a systematic exposure of sensitive data at an unprecedented scale—worse, some chats are deeply incriminating. TL;DR: “Share” means completely public, not just “send to a friend or colleague”. You’ve been warned…and so have I.
Omeda's Q2 Email Benchmark Report Flags Concerning Trends
An analysis of 2Bn emails sent by media brands shows a reduction in CTRs whilst open rates have increased. How so? Google AI email summaries are being recorded as opens—and publishers are starting to notice. Also, 81% of newsletter clicks are now flagged as bots, with raw CTRs hugely inflated without filtering.
How New Scientist Is Using Influencer Marketing to Boost Acquisitions
New Scientist might not be the first media brand to spring to mind when looking at influencer marketing—but it’s gone all in and it’s worked. They hired four hero influencers with large, +1M followings, and the results have been marked including a 29% reduction in subscription CPA. In-depth insights directly from New Scientist’s Jo Adams.
Gannett Is Cutting $100 Million and Rethinking Subscriptions
It’s not all bad news—profits are up—but the U.S.'s largest newspaper group can see the AI writing on the wall as revenues drop. The solution? Closure of two print facilities, outsourcing, voluntary buyouts and a major focus on AI automation. Cheap, short-term, high-churn, introductory subs are now out, replaced by annual subscription offers and pay-per-article. P.S. Gannett has also signed a content licensing deal with Perplexity.
The New Rule of Enterprise AI: Build It Yourself
Echoing what Dr. Seth Dobrin told me last week, Mastercard’s Dudley Nevill-Spencer has posted a clear take on what it takes to make AI work inside complex organisations. TL;DR: “Plug-and-play” is out, with AI value coming from custom-built, tightly trained, domain-specific models designed by subject matter experts. A rare glimpse into how a multinational is re-evaluating its approach to AI.
Mail Online Rebrands, Targets 1M Subs Using Partial Paywall
Mail Online has reverted back to the Daily Mail worldwide, tied to a strategic shift from chasing pure scale to paid growth. Its partial paywall, launched in 2024, has already signed up 325k+ subs—with a new target of 1M by 2028. Its key strategy? Folding Mail+ paywalled content into the main site to convert readers into paying subs. It’s working…
WaPo’s TikTok Exec Starts His Own Social-Native Media Brand
Dave Jorgenson, the ‘Washington Post TikTok guy’, has quit to launch Local News International, a creator-led, social-first news brand with three other ex-WaPo staff. His exit shows legacy media struggling to keep Gen Z talent, and creator-led journalism outpacing traditional news brands. Key quote: WaPo surveys showed people “overwhelmingly trusted the paper more after following us on TikTok & Shorts”.
Straight Arrow News Achieves Balanced Reporting Award, Again
Straight Arrow News has earned the AllSides Balance Certification™ for the third year in a row, marking it out as one of the few media organisations globally to truly attain unbiased reporting. The publication has also been awarded a perfect 100/100 score from NewsGuard, the independent provider of tools to counter misinformation. A feat achieved by less than 1% of news outlets. #respect
Trusting News: How To Combat Health Misinformation
Staying on the topic of factual reporting, Trusting News has worked tirelessly to help news organisations regain audience trust. However, this newsletter is a masterclass in how not to do it—featuring a vaccine expert whose medical heft is an MA in English Literature. It’s not hard to regain trust, you just have to reference peer reviewed medical literature. Exhibit A. P.S. The U.S. Govt agrees—it’s also had enough.
AI TOOL OF THE WEEK: Non-Standard Phrases Detector Tool
Springer Nature is leading the way in creating AI solutions for publishers to identify rogue/fake/counterfeit research. Its tools to identify irrelevant references and manipulated images are now followed by this little gem, which weeds out awkwardly constructed sentences designed to evade plagiarism detection. The tools can be accessed via the STM Integrity Hub. Thanks to Helen King #PubTech.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: JournalismAI Innovation Challenge
After nine months of development, 35 newsrooms supported by the JournalismAI Innovation Challenge and the Google News Initiative are presenting their AI-driven prototypes, warts and all. Registration is free. Tues, 9th Sept (subs & revenue) | Tues, 16th Sept (new formats & audience engagement).
EVENT OF THE WEEK: App Promotion Summit, NYC & Berlin
Given this week’s focus on publisher apps, the App Promotion Summit is timely. Created for app marketing, growth, product, and revenue execs, the event has been running since 2013. P.S. It is co-founded by James ‘Coops’ Cooper who used to be Head of Strategy at The Guardian. In short, it’s good. NYC 18th Sept | Berlin 27th Nov
Pugpig Media App Report 2025: Richer Apps = Stronger Audiences
Each year, the Pugpig Media App Report offers one of the clearest looks at how publishers are using apps to cement direct reader relationships. Pugpig powers over 400 apps for 135 publishers worldwide (including Hearst, Newsweek, The Independent, Future PLC, and Springer Nature), so its aggregated benchmark data has weight.
This year’s edition comes at a time of collapsing social referrals, AI-driven summaries and AI platforms diverting search traffic, with apps moving from side projects to central strategies as publishers focus on direct reader engagement.
While some respected media analysts remain sceptical of apps, especially for smaller publishers—expensive to build, resource-intensive to maintain, and often outweighed by more immediate wins e.g. newsletters—the Pugpig data shows that when executed properly, apps can drive deeper engagement and loyalty than almost any other channel.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland has shown what’s possible, recording 91% compound growth with its Onet Premium app and bundling strategy. For the Financial Times, its app is now its most powerful retention tool, whilst over in the States, Straight Arrow News says its relaunched app has led to a 26% growth in user sessions since April.
Below are a few key takeaways from the Pugpig report. For the complete data sets, retention benchmarks and in-depth case studies, you can download the complete report here. All quotes are anonymised as per the original report.
1. Search and social squeeze
The top of the funnel is drying up with social referrals collapsing, and Google’s AI-driven overviews eating into search traffic. Publishers told Pugpig they are “somewhat” or “extremely concerned” about discovery drying up.
Apps are emerging as a key hedge. Benchmark data shows publisher apps holding a Day 30 retention rate of 46%, more than six times higher than the global app average.
“With the decline of search and social, a one-to-one relationship with our readers is paramount. There is a ticking clock on our reliance on those platforms.”
“Apps are all about building habit, becoming someone’s go-to source for local news. We see 4–5x the engagement week over week compared to desktop.”
With social and search no longer delivering the predictable traffic they once did, the pressure is mounting on publishers to secure more reliable, owned channels. The report shows a growing consensus: it’s no longer viable to depend on platforms whose algorithms and priorities shift without warning. Not that it ever was…
2. Richer content is driving growth
Apps that simply mirror print or the website are missing a big opportunity. Report data shows that audio, video and games are the biggest levers for engagement and retention.
Nearly half of publisher apps now include audio, and users who listen spend almost twice as long per month in-app.
The Stylist Group added puzzles and saw game players reading 69% more articles per week.
BBC’s vertical video feature drove a 30% lift in video access and a 20% jump in videos viewed in a single year.
“Games are one of our best retention tools. Games users are more than twice as likely to come back to the app.”
“Audio is one of the most engaging formats we offer. People who listen are spending twice as long in the app every month.”
This shift reflects a deeper truth: audiences now expect more than static digital editions or repurposed articles. They want media experiences tailored to how they consume content on mobile — short, engaging, interactive, and multi-format.
3. Apps are becoming acquisition engines
This year’s report shows another shift. Apps are no longer just retention tools; publishers are using them to convert unknown users into paying subscribers.
The FT saw conversion rates almost double after pushing native in-app subscriptions.
Stylist VIP added a premium tier inside the app and now converts higher in-app than on web.
Runner’s World Club boosted daily usage by 35% with personalised training plans and a focus on utility.
“Our app engages our target audience, but also beyond. The data suggests a real breadth of people downloading.”
“The app has become one of our most effective tools for turning casual readers into paying subscribers. It’s no longer just about retention.”
The lines between acquisition and engagement are blurring. As more publishers integrate metered access, freemium models, and in-app exclusives, the app becomes a key front door to the brand.
4. Personalisation and AI are colliding
For the third year in a row, personalisation is the top innovation priority, now picking up speed with AI. The report shows that the strongest apps combine human editorial judgement with algorithmic recommendations. Half of surveyed publishers now use some form of personalisation.
Targeted push notifications drove a 3x increase in open rates at The Boston Globe.
Foreign Affairs doubled its audio audience to 20% by combining AI-narrated articles with small UX tweaks.
“Personalisation is not just a tech feature, it’s a way of making the app feel like it belongs to each individual reader.”
“With first-party data, publishers are in a strong position to deliver personalised experiences. Using AI also brings new features and value to readers.”
The report cautions that while AI offers efficiency, the strongest outcomes come when it supports — not replaces — human judgement. Personalisation works best when readers still feel like they’re being served by a newsroom that knows them, not just an algorithm.
5. The app as the business core
The report makes the same point repeatedly: the publishers who put serious editorial, product and commercial effort into their apps are the ones seeing the biggest returns.
Treating apps as core to the business, not a bolt-on, is where long-term growth is coming from.
“We are at a pivotal point for publishers. Building direct, lasting relationships with readers has never been more important, and apps are proving to be one of the most powerful ways to do it.” — Jonny Kaldor, CEO, Pugpig
The report positions this shift as strategic, not just technical. Apps give publishers a rare advantage: a controlled ecosystem where content, user data, subscriptions and commerce can all live under one roof. It’s why leading publishers are now designing app strategies at board level, not just within product teams.