There are a few pressing issues facing the media industry that demand attention: the future of media, along with the rise of generative AI, the evolution of media brands, and the challenge of attracting young readers.

Earl J. Wilkinson, executive director and CEO of INMA, provided insightful commentary on these challenges at INMA’s annual Media Innovation Week in Helsinki, shedding light on the need for media organisations to adapt to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment increasingly dominated by technology and shifting audience behaviours.

At the recent INMA Vail Roundtable, media executives were asked a common yet critical question that Wilkinson shared with Media Innovation Week’s 337 attendees from 35 countries: “What’s keeping you up at night?”

The responses raised several issues: the future of generative AI, the ongoing struggle to get young people be interested in media and news, and changing business models, where the skew has been toward subscriptions over traditional advertising.

“Young readers have been difficult to catch for traditional medias,” Wilkinson noted, highlighting a significant generational shift: “Just as previous young generations went from newspapers towards radio, today’s younger audiences are leaning toward newer platforms.”

This shift is not just about technology; it is also about how young people engage with news and information. Younger generations are more likely to consume news through social media and influencers. This change has left traditional media struggling to keep pace.

The challenge is rethinking how news is packaged, delivered, and consumed, Wilkinson said: “Nowadays, we rely too much on implied and assumed values such as history and age.”

Getting the daily newspaper was once a public display of being a well-informed citizen, Wilkinson said, but this historical prestige diminished with the rise of digital journalism. “Looking back in the history, news media companies were never really selling the journalism, they were selling everything around journalism — the experience and prestige around it. If I subscribe The New York Times, nobody knows it. But if I am getting the newspaper delivered on my front lawn, it’s a badge of honour.”

As print declines — and Substack journalism and influencers are rising — traditional media outlets must find new ways to make their journalism stand out in a crowded and noisy market.

“Also in the future, our primary goal is to focus on achieving digital financial sustainability while ensuring that we continue to maintain our impact and influence within society,” Wilkinson said.

It is important to create a strong financial foundation in the digital landscape.

Another significant challenge is the rise of Generative AI.

This technology is already having a profound impact on how content is discovered, fundamentally altering the strategic battleground that media organisations must navigate. AI is reshaping the ways in which audiences find and engage with content, leading to significant changes in the strategies that media companies must adapt to attract and retain their audiences.

As the role of AI continues to expand, it becomes increasingly important for media organisations to adapt their strategies accordingly.

According to Wilkinson, this situation requires media organizations to invest more in developing their brand and improving their marketing efforts – areas that many publishers have not fully focused on in the past.

He referred to these as “muscles we have not exercised.” Strengthening the brand and improving marketing is crucial, as improving them will help connect better with their audience.

The role newsroom plays in adapting to changes in the media landscape is essential. Without newsrooms taking part in adapting to change or adopting innovative practices, digital transformation won’t be taking place, Wilkinson said: 

“Newsroom is the centerpiece of company’s broader digital transformation.”  

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