Return to INMA home
Operating within the new AI ecosystems

Product & Tech Initiative




How AI-driven technologies are moving us from search to answer to action, why the rise of AI browsers will accelerate this shift in 2026, and what it means for journalism’s distribution and the urgent need to prioritise customer experience and direct, people-first relationships over chasing traffic.

Scope of the initiative

How fragmented distribution is reshaping reach
The future of owned experiences
The rise of agentic AI
Evolving product formats
Redefining relationships with AI players

2025 year-in-review Town Hall meeting of the Product & Tech Initiative


Ways to connect

Newsletter

Get bi-weekly Product & Tech Initiative newsletters in your inbox. Sign up here

Slack channel

A place to share experiences both privately and publicly. Sign up here

Video meet-ups and Webinars

Join product peers for practical members-only upcoming video meetups and on demand webinars

Master Classes

Link to the best product & tech minds, exchange ideas, at master classes focused on building customer-informed products and going beyond traditional news products. See schedule here

Ask Me Anything

For corporate members of INMA, connect your product and tech teams with Jodie Hopperton for private mentoring.

REPORTS

See our latest reports regarding product & tech. Click here to view all.



Mission

How news media can harness technology to build standout products that delight customers and drive growth will be a central question in 2026. With consumer behaviour, reshaped by AI, moving rapidly from search to answer to action, the challenge will be to evaluate and evolve multimodal products across channels, strengthen direct customer relationships on owned platforms, and navigate the rise of AI players with clear strategies on permission, attribution, and monetisation.

Product & Tech Initiative lead

Jodie Hopperton is a British media executive based in Los Angeles. Jodie’s career spans over 15 years and multiple countries working with technology start-ups in addition to roles such as head of interactive at Trinity Mirror in the United Kingdom and director EMEA, syndication and licensing for The New York Times in Paris.

Product & Tech Initiative Advisory Council

  • Katharine Bailey
    Senior VP, Global Head of Product and Design
    Condé Nast
    United States
  • Riske Betten
    Product Director
    Mediahuis
    Netherlands
  • Kara Chiles
    Vice President of Consumer Products
    Gannett | USA Today Network
    United States
  • Julian Delany
    Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
    News Corp
    United States
  • John Kundert
    Chief Product and Technology Officer
    Financial Times
    United Kingdom
  • Rebecca Salsbury
    Product and Technology Leader
    University of Maine
    United States
  • Pundi Sriram
    Chief Product Officer
    The Hindu
    India
  • Espen Sundve
    Chief Product Officer
    Schibsted
    Norway
  • Christoph Zimmer
    Head of Product
    Der Spiegel
    Germany