Winner: Financial Times
2019 was a landmark year for the Financial Times, amid ongoing disruption of the global media industry, political uncertainty and interruptions to global trade.
Its journalism, which included an interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin and a leading story on the rigged Congo elections, captured the cut and thrust of world events while the business held up well in the face of forceful headwinds.
In order to reach a new audience and carve out a niche for the 2020 US Presidential election year, it launched the FT-Peterson Economic Monitor to measure how voters perceive financial and economic issues in the lead-up to the vote.
The poll results outperform in terms of pageviews and are predominantly read by a US audience.
The FT took a focus on verticals, using its specialist knowledge to deepen reader engagement and drive new revenue streams. It launched Moral Money, an initiative that explores the fast-growing global shift towards sustainable and responsible investing, which has attracted nearly 18,000 subscribers since launch.
The FT also launched Trade Secrets, which focuses on global trade and the most important issues driving globalisation. It has attracted more than 21,000 subscribers since its launch in October.
The subscriber-base for the FT’s M&A daily briefing Due Diligence nearly doubled year on year, and the newsletter expanded to include a members-only forum, hosting exclusive global reader events.
Shortlisted:
Forbes