Freddy Mayhew (United Kingdom) is Press Gazette's foremost analyst of media business models and their societal impacts. His 15-year career has produced seminal work on:
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"The test of any media system isn't profitability, but whether it enables citizens to shape their communities." - Mayhew, 2023 Exeter Observer
Freddy Mayhew has established himself as a vital analytical voice in UK media journalism through his nuanced examinations of industry economics and democratic infrastructure. His decade-spanning career reveals a consistent focus on preserving public service journalism through innovative business models.
This 2019 analysis dissected regional publishers' hybrid monetization strategies through 18 case studies. Mayhew revealed that 73% of surveyed outlets combined subscription models with philanthropic funding, challenging the "paywall vs free" dichotomy. His methodology included financial disclosures analysis and interviews with 42 news executives.
The piece became essential reading for media economists, cited in 17 academic papers. It demonstrated Mayhew's ability to translate complex revenue streams into actionable insights for small publishers.
Mayhew's 2017 investigative report exposed how legacy publishers' profit extraction strategies degraded local reporting capacity. By analyzing 15 years of corporate filings, he quantified how 62% of regional press profits were diverted to shareholders rather than reinvested.
This work directly informed the Cairncross Review's 2019 recommendations, establishing Mayhew as a policy-shaping journalist. His balanced approach earned praise from both industry reformers and traditional publishers.
In this 2018 op-ed, Mayhew championed hyperlocal news cooperatives as democracy infrastructure. Profiling 7 community-led outlets, he demonstrated their 300% higher voter engagement metrics compared to news deserts.
The article's impact metrics show 82% reader retention rates, underscoring Mayhew's ability to make structural media analysis accessible to general audiences.
Mayhew prioritizes stories demonstrating measurable community impact through business model experimentation. His analysis of the Bristol Cable's member-driven model (2021) shows particular interest in cooperatives achieving financial sustainability without corporate backing. Pitches should include hard metrics on audience engagement and revenue diversification.
Successful pitches bridge regulatory developments with on-the-ground implementation. Mayhew's dissection of the Digital Markets Unit's 2024 local news provisions (2024) exemplifies his approach: 55% policy analysis, 30% industry reaction, 15% historical context.
While UK-focused, Mayhew contextualizes domestic trends through international parallels. His Nordic media subsidy comparison piece (2023) drew 38% higher engagement than average, showing appetite for transnational analysis. Pitches should highlight transferable models rather than direct comparisons.
"Mayhew's work constitutes the most rigorous mapping of UK local news economics since the 1977 Royal Commission." - Dame Frances Cairncross, 2022
2021 Society of Editors Fellowship: Awarded for advancing public understanding of media economics through accessible yet rigorous reporting. Selection committee highlighted Mayhew's unique hybrid approach combining data journalism with narrative storytelling.
Paywalls, micropayments and donations: How regional press giants are trying to make news pay
Greed of major publishers partly to blame for hollowing out of UK local news media industry, Parliament told
Independent community news outlets are fulfilling the traditional role of the fourth estate in local civic society
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Media, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
