Industry leaders arrived in New York excited to hear the latest trends and insights of an evolving news media landscape at the recent INMA World Congress. From the rise of audio platforms to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, the conference provided valuable insights into the future of journalism and below we have summarised the key highlights that stood out to FT Strategies:
1. Reaching New Audiences: New Formats and Offerings
A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher and Chairman of the New York Times emphasised the importance of viewing platforms like audio as components of a broader multimedia experience. Rather than pivoting away from traditional formats, news organisations should aim to complement their existing content with new forms to reach diverse audiences. The focus should be on creating high-quality, complementary content that aligns with the organisation's core values. Overall, the conference highlighted the importance of diversifying news media offerings beyond traditional formats. By expanding touchpoints and providing a full-service experience, news organisations can anchor relationships with readers. While news remains at the core, offering additional content formats creates new opportunities for engagement and builds loyalty.
Claudia Mann from Kleine Zeitung in Austria said that to reach younger audiences, news organisations need to adapt their strategies and formats. Building trust through touchpoints, establishing a strong personal connection with journalists, and meeting audiences where they are (e.g., platforms like TikTok) are essential. Transparency, participation rules, and acting on audience feedback are also key factors in engaging younger demographics.
2. Personalisation and User Needs: Finding the Right Balance
The sheer volume of content produced by news organisations poses challenges in making it discoverable and relevant to users. Personalisation plays a key role in addressing this issue, but it should be balanced with editorial judgment. While technology can assist in identifying user preferences, human editorial judgment remains crucial in ensuring a mix of important and interesting content that appeals to diverse audiences.
3. AI Challenges: Understanding the Limitations
As you will know, Artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges for news media. Karen Silverman, CEO and Founder of the Cantellus Groups, shared that AI models are trained to fulfill specific objectives, and their outputs are based on the data they were trained on. However, AI lacks contextual knowledge and replicating human knowledge, making human editorial judgment indispensable in journalism. It is crucial to navigate the regulatory landscape carefully and address high-risk use cases while ensuring transparency and accountability.
AI-powered tools can significantly improve newsroom efficiency and enhance content creation processes, according to Anders Grimstad from Schibsted. Through natural language processing and collaborative filtering, AI can help recommend personalised content to users, increasing click-through rates and fully read articles. Additionally, automated content generation and real-time data integration offer opportunities for experimentation and innovation in newsrooms.
4. Trust in News: Transparency and Audience Engagement
Building trust with audiences is a critical aspect of news media. Providing clear indicators of funding, diverse perspectives, and locally sourced information helps establish trust. News organisations can engage audiences through explainers, guides, and transparency about how stories are sourced and reported. Trust indicators and proactive audience participation play vital roles in reinforcing credibility.
In conclusion, the INMA World Congress provided valuable insights into the future of news media. Embracing multimedia experiences, personalisation, and user needs, diversification strategies, harnessing AI's potential, building trust, and reaching younger audiences emerged as key themes. As the industry continues to evolve, news organisations must strike a balance between technological advancements and human editorial judgment to deliver high-quality, reliable content that meets the needs and expectations of their audiences.
About the author
Daisy joined FT Strategies from Reuters where she was Director of Global Customer Experience overseeing their website and reader revenue. Before that, she spent over eight years leading customer research teams in London and New York at the Financial Times and beyond, working closely with the B2B sales and product teams to define key strategic research initiatives. She has an EMBA from the IE Business School, Madrid.
