A business editor speaks: how news is changing, and how to work with journalists

How does a national newspaper group maintain its edge? On this edition of The Little Questions podcast, we're peeling back the curtain on the quiet power of your inbox, the evolution of business news, and why the era of the silent CEO is officially over.

Guiding the conversation are the podcast's new hosts, Jenny Scott and James Kirkup, both partners at Apella Advisors. Jenny brings her experience as the former Director of Communications at the Bank of England and a BBC economics correspondent, while James offers the perspective of a former national newspaper political editor and think tank director.

They are joined by Chris Williams, Executive Editor at Telegraph Media Group. With over 15 years at the title, Chris oversees the paper's business coverage and has a front-row seat to the radical shifts rocking the industry.

The episode kicks off with the unexpected renaissance of the newsletter. Chris explains how The Telegraph's flagship newsletter reaches 2 million people daily, becoming their most potent tool for subscriber growth by returning to media's 18th-century roots: curated, intimate storytelling.

We also dive into the "growing up" of business news. Readers no longer want dry profit reports; they crave long-form narratives that connect corporate performance to the broader societal pulse. Chris offers a provocative take on AI: while it disrupts search traffic, it may ultimately save traditional media. Because AI requires verified facts to function, high-quality journalism is regaining the leverage it lost during the social media boom.

Finally, Chris issues a challenge to the C-suite: "News abhors a vacuum." He argues that risk-averse leaders can no longer stay silent on socio-political issues. If you don't tell your story, someone else will. He urges comms professionals to move past press releases and reinvest in the oldest tool in the kit: the personal relationship.  He also has a spicy thought about CEOs who only communicate via LinkedIn.

We'd love to know what you think. Are you investing time in building and maintaining relationships with journalists? Do you think your C-suite execs should be speaking out publicly more or less in the current climate?

Drop us an email - podcast@apelladvisors.com and please consider leaving us a review.

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.