Reports
AI-First User Journeys: A Strategic Framework for Publishers
How AI is reshaping news consumption, shifting audiences from search to conversational experiences. This report identifies text, audio, and agentic journeys, urging publishers to redesign content systems, metrics, and relationships. Drawing on case studies, the report argues success will depend on user-first, AI-orchestrated strategies embedded in everyday news habits.
Author
Jodie Hopperton, Product & Tech Initiative Lead, INMA
Who should read this report
Product leaders, editors, audience and subscription teams, technology and data leaders, and senior executives responsible for shaping how journalism reaches and serves audiences.
Detailed overview
“AI-First User Journeys: A Strategic Framework for Publishers” outlines how the shift from search to conversational interfaces is transforming audience behaviour and redefining the role of news organisations.
The report dives into:
- Text-first AI journeys
- Audio-first AI journeys
- Agentic journeys
- How text, audio, and agentic journeys come together
- 4 pillars of publisher success
- Unique advantages
Authored by INMA Product & Tech Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton, the report outlines how the shift from search to conversational interfaces is transforming audience behaviour and redefining the role of news organisations.
Set against a backdrop of rapid experimentation across the news industry, the report synthesises insights from conversations with media leaders across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
The report identifies three emerging AI-first journeys — text-first, audio-first, and agentic — and argues that publishers must design coordinated experiences across all three to remain relevant.
It also highlights key priorities for publishers, including investing in structured, modular content systems, redefining success metrics beyond traffic, and strengthening first-party relationships.
The report concludes that the future of news will be “user-first and AI-orchestrated,” requiring publishers to rethink how journalism fits into daily life across text, audio, and action.
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