Three Reads (and Events) to Start the Year Informed

Must attend 2026 media events

If one of your goals this year is to expand your industry network, learn how other publishers are tackling similar challenges, or gain inspiration from experienced media leaders, attending industry events is hard to beat. To help with that, Audiencers has put together a useful calendar of upcoming media and publishing events worth keeping an eye on.

We couldn’t pass on the opportunity to highlight one event in particular: Twipe’s Digital Growth Summit, taking place on October 15 in Leuven, Belgium, just 30 minutes from Brussels. Hosted in an intimate setting of around 120 industry peers, the summit is designed as a hands-on conference exploring how technology is reshaping the news industry. Expect practical insights, in-depth workshops, top-level speakers, and plenty of time for meaningful networking.

Super early bird tickets are available until January 31. Find out more and secure your spot here.

AI: What to expect heading into year 4

It’s hard to believe that AI, as we know it today, has only been around for three years. In that short time, the industry has already moved through several distinct phases: initial confusion, intense hype, and hands-on experimentation. New roles like Chief AI Officer have emerged, journalists have broken major stories with AI’s support, and newsroom teams everywhere have been encouraged to explore how it can be used internally.

If you’re looking for grounded perspectives on how AI is likely to shape the news industry in 2026, these two pieces are an excellent starting point:

• The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism interviewed 17 industry experts on how they expect AI to influence the year ahead in news—from editorial workflows to business models.
• Ezra Eeman, Strategy & Innovation Director at NPO and lead of the WAN-IFRA AI in Media initiative, published his annual Wayfinder Trends Report. The report offers a wide-ranging view on emerging trends and practical implications, drawing on his hands-on experience

What’s in store for the wider industry?

The annual NiemanLab Predictions is an exceptional body of work, bringing together 150 expert perspectives on what to expect from the year ahead. Each contribution stands on its own as a short, opinion-driven article, making it easy to dip in and explore specific viewpoints.

The topics are wide-ranging—covering audiences, AI, monetization, subscriptions, and the realities faced by many different types of publishers. Combined with Nieman Lab’s beautifully designed website, it’s well worth taking the time to browse through the full collection.

If you’re looking for a more curated entry point, we’ve selected our top 10 predictions from this year’s edition. And if you’d like to go a step further, you can also explore our interactive overview of the top 50 predictions, powered by NotebookLM, and chat directly with the themes and insights that stood out most.