6 Cases About the Future of Journalism from Industry Experts

As we gear up for the Digital Growth Summit next week, we’ve had some exciting chats with a few of the speakers. In this blog, we share some of the top takeaways from these industry professionals on the future of journalism. Digital is changing fast, and it’s essential for news outlets to keep up.

We’ve got a case study from Keskisuomalainen Oyj about their use of JAMES personalisation technology, smart tips from Julie Lelièvre on using social media to attract younger generations, and many more! Read up, and get ready to learn even more at the summit. See you there!

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The Telegraph: Key Technologies Driving Business Growth

Technological Advancements: Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a common theme, with a focus on Advanced and Generative AI technologies. Machine learning, a subset of AI, also garnered attention. The industry is leveraging AI to automate tasks, reduce costs, and free up resources for creative endeavours.
Multichannel Publishing and Automation: These were highlighted to automate content adaptation for different platforms, reducing bottlenecks and improving efficiency.
Mobile Technologies: Due to the changing news consumption patterns, publishers need to follow their readers’ technology preferences and remain “technology agnostic” to adapt effectively. According to Reuters, ‘the war in Ukraine and the Coronavirus pandemic have accelerated structural shifts towards more digital, mobile, and platform-dominated media environments’.

Le Monde: Engaging Audiences on Social Media

Le Monde‘s audience engagement approach has evolved from tailoring content for each social platform, to now creating content based on its own characteristics. This allowed them to share most content across platforms which maximises content production and leverages the fact that engaging content tends to perform well across various platforms.

Le Monde‘s strategy involves using social media content to connect with younger audiences and establish itself as a reliable news source. They have noticed topics that support independent media and exclusive and trustworthy content has a strong appeal towards the young readers.

They employ a funnel approach to engage readers, gradually guiding them toward subscriber-exclusive content while offering previews. Le Monde continually explores different ways to connect with readers, aiming to transition platform users to their website or app effectively while balancing brand awareness and revenue generation.

Furthermore, Le Monde sees great potential in conversational platforms such as WhatsApp for audience engagement and building trust between publishers and audiences. Their WhatsApp channel for COVID-related news received positive responses and feedback, encouraging Le Monde to explore such opportunities.

La Presse: Achieving Great User Experience with User-Centric Designs

La Presse’s prioritisation of user experience over technology is fundamental to their success. They envision ideal user experiences first, and then leverage relevant technologies to achieve them and deliver meaningful interactions. Their agility, cloud-based infrastructure, a blend of serious content with engaging visuals, and strategic use of Artificial Intelligence all contribute to enhancing the user experience.

Maintaining focus, humility, and curiosity, La Presse is able to constantly be adapting to user behaviour, fostering innovation, and reinforcing a user-focused approach at the core of their user-centric strategy. It also helps to commit to staying relevant in the ever-evolving market, and prioritising goals aligned with desired user experiences.

Keskisuomalainen Oyj: Case Study into using JAMES Technology for Automation, Newsletter Personalisation and Reader Engagement

Keskisuomalainen Oyj leveraged personalised and automated newsletters using JAMES technology by Twipe to significantly enhance reader engagement and reduce subscriber churn.

The observed results:

On average, 5% increase in open rate, 4.5% increase in click rate from readers receiving JAMES mails compared to readers receiving an editorially produced email;
Overall higher activation and evolution of habitual reading on exposed cohorts when compared to control groups;

Activation = Evolved from no interaction in past 30 days to at least 1 day with interaction

Habitual = Read 10 or more days in past 30 days

This showed that automation and personalisation provided valuable results, even for smaller newsrooms. Additionally, this led to winning the ‘Best Initiative to Retain Subscribers’ award at the INMA Global Media Awards in 2023.

Mather: Understanding Audiences to Drive Strategic Pricing

Publishers can drive revenue growth by focusing on 2 essential elements:

Subscriber volume;

ARPU (average revenue per user).

By understanding readers’ willingness to pay, publishers can offer valuable subscription elements like multi-access accounts and special editions to enhance customer engagement, and tailoring subscription tiers based on insights to maximise both revenue and customer value.

Adaptive pricing is useful in maximising revenue; the challenge lies in identifying specific audience segments that can embrace this without risking churn. Achieving the right balance between potential benefits and potential backlash is crucial in this approach.

Looking ahead, subscription models may evolve into various forms, such as newsletters and bundles, with a focus on collaborative efforts between subscription teams and technology. Automation through subscription intelligence, using data to automate onboarding, habit formation, and optimising customer journeys, represents the future of pricing and revenue strategies in the publishing industry.

Ezra Eeman’s Wayfinder Report: Trends into the Future of Journalism

A growing generational gap was revealed, suggesting that younger audiences are shifting away from linear radio and TV, and instead spending more time on social media.
19% of teens (13-17 years old) in the US visit YouTube almost constantly. 16% are locked in TikTok.
81% of weekly listeners believe that podcasts alleviate the stresses of everyday life.
Media will evolve inevitably to its most natural and immersive form to be always on, lifelike and immersive.
Everything that can be automated will be automated.
Digital has blurred the lines between media – video, audio, test – it’s all bits and bytes and it’s all going through the same pipeline.
Rather than storing data centrally, users would hold their personal data in a personal data pod.

Conclusion

We’ve highlighted some interesting insights about the future of journalism from key stakeholders in the industry. The game is changing fast with AI, mobile tech, and fresh approaches to engaging readers. All these details are just a taste of what’s to come at the Digital Growth Summit. If you’re interested in hearing the latest developments from these experts, DGS is the place to be.

Thinking of coming? It’s going to be worth it. Let’s catch up there and dive deeper into the future of news together!