The way people discover and use information is changing fast. We are moving from a world shaped by search to one dominated by answers and now increasingly to action as AI-driven technologies and consumer products step in to interpret, decide, and act on behalf of users.

For news media, this shift brings both urgency and opportunity. Fragmented distribution is reshaping reach, AI browsers and agents are mediating discovery, and traditional traffic flows can no longer be taken for granted. At the same time, these changes sharpen the case for what publishers can control: strong, differentiated products and direct, people-first relationships with audiences.

As AI moves users further up the value chain — from asking questions to taking actions — customer experience becomes central. Owned platforms, habit-building formats, and multi-modal products are no longer “nice to have.” They are critical infrastructure. Just as important is how news organisations define their relationships with AI players, including decisions around permission, attribution, and monetisation.

This is not about resisting change. It’s about understanding how agentic AI is reshaping digital ecosystems and making deliberate choices about where journalism adds value, how it shows up, and how it gets paid for in an AI-mediated world.

If you’re already experimenting with agentic AI, rethinking distribution, or investing in owned experiences — or if you’re just starting to explore what this shift means for your organisation — I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get in touch to share your thinking, compare notes, or talk through how INMA’s Product & Tech Initiative can support your next steps. I’m at at Jodie.Hopperton@INMA.org. 

If you’d like to subscribe to my bi-weekly newsletter, INMA members can do so here.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .