Reports
INMA reports are global, strategic, relevant, and just-in-time. INMA members can log in and download reports for free.
Latest Reports
144 Results
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How News Advertising Reclaims the Brand Safety Narrative
Brand safety has de-monetised quality news by conflating journalism with harmful content and relying on crude keyword blocklists, starving publishers of billions despite no evidence of brand harm. The market is shifting with AI-driven contextual tools restoring nuance and research showing news drives higher attention and trust. As a result, advertisers and agencies are reconsidering. The playbook that is emerging includes replacing blocklists with inclusion lists and advanced verification, arming sales with proof and case studies, and diversifying into brand-friendly verticals and video to sidestep debates. The outcome is a post-keyword era that rewards context, outcomes, and quality.
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Inside the Shift Toward AI-Driven News Operations
How the news media industry has embraced AI - from initial curiosity to a range of implementations within two years - is the focus of this INMA report based on real-world case studies and original INMA research. "Inside the Shift Toward AI-Driven News Operations" includes case studies and examples from Amedia, HT Media, Newsquest, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Corriere della Sera, Aftonbladet, The New Zealand Herald, Schibsted, The Hindu, The Times Internet, The BBC, Iltalehti, The Telegraph, Medien Hub, Newslaundry, Hearst, The Globe and Mail, Medienholding Süd, Bonnier News, and others.
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As Social Referrals End, News Companies Pivot
How news media companies are pivoting in the face of declining social media referrals is the focus of this INMA Report. In "As Social Referrals End, News Companies Pivot," INMA looks at how news companies are replacing the social referrals they've relied on in the past to build direct audience relationships and differently use social platforms. Case studies from The Wall Street Journal, Stuff, Village Media, and Condé Nast show how they're adjusting to reality beyond social referrals and leveraging new tools to build relationships with readers.
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Basic Principles For News Media
INMA's Basic Principles framework aims to safeguard journalism amid AI and platform disruption. Centred on democracy, fair compensation, and digital competition, the framework urges urgent action to protect press freedom, ensure fair licensing, and counter disinformation, preserving journalism's role as democracy's cornerstone.
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Beyond the Funnel: Strategies for a New Subscription Model
How news media organisations around the globe are approaching sustainable journalism in their subscription strategies is the focus of this INMA report. In "Beyond the Funnel: Advice For a New Subscription Strategy," Paulo Celso Pereira, executive editor of Brazil's O Globo, provides a look at how to develop a subscriber base that allows a media company to be profitable and secure its future. Among the report's case studies are The New York Times (USA), Financial Times (United Kingdom), El País (Spain), Clarín (Argentina), and United Daily News Group (Taiwan).
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Beyond the Dashboard: 14 Case Studies in Newsroom Metrics
"Beyond the Dashboard: 14 Case Studies in Newsroom Metrics" explores how leading news media organisations from around the world are evolving their use of data to strengthen journalism, grow audience relationships, and drive business results. This analysis reveals a more mature, intentional approach to metrics - one that emphasises value over volume and prioritises outcomes aligned with editorial purpose. The report features case studies from The New York Times, Mediahuis, The Times & The Sunday Times, Axel Springer, The Wall Street Journal, Hearst, Bonnier News, Rede Gazeta, Stuff, Aftenposten, Verdens Gang, Politiken, Nation Media Group, and Jagran New Media.
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As Search Ends for News, Here Is What's Next
What publishers must quickly do to adapt to the changing realities of search and AI answer engines is the focus of this report. As audiences are becoming accustomed to getting their news in fragments, summaries, and answers - without visiting publisher sites, subscribing, or even seeing a brand - publishers must act quickly to develop "zero-search" strategies for engagement. This report offers a look at the state of search today, the impact this is having on news traffic, and practical guidance on the future of search alternatives.
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How Media Companies Can Combat News Avoidance
How media companies can combat news avoidance is the focus of this report. Using examples from Germany's Rheinische Post, Deutsche Welle, and Der Speigel, as well as The Daily Aus in Australia and Vox Media's The Logoff newsletter in the United States, this report illustrates how news companies are adjusting to the problem of news avoidance and redesigning the user's experience to build new relationships and foster engagement.
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How News Organisations Should Work With AI Companies
How news media organisations should work with AI companies to act quickly in the face of rapid AI advancements is the focus of this report. This report outlines how news media organisations can take control of their role in the new AI media landscape, sharing important next steps such as understanding the value of content, the need to collaborate with industry peers, and the importance of building a loyal audience.
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6 Emerging GenAI Trends for Media to Watch in 2025
What the news media industry has learned about generative AI in 2024 is the focus of this report. In this end-of-year report, INMA reviews what we've discovered and what we can expect in 2025, identifying 6 trends to look out for: personalisation, advertising and subscriptions, humans become digital, products get conversational, editors become the last gate, and finding the needle in a haystack.
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How Gen Z Could Change the Print Game
The resurgence of print among Gen Z and how news organisations can build lasting relationships with this generation is the focus of this report. With case studies from the Daily Maverick, The Times of India, L'Actu, and Hindustan Times, the report looks at three key factors driving this desire for print, exploring what it could mean for news media organisations.
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10 Problems GenAI Solves for News Media Companies
How generative AI can help improve newsroom operations, retain subscribers, and reach new audiences is the focus of this report. With case studies from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, South Africa, and the United States, the report looks at how news organisations around the world are leveraging AI to solve common industry problems.
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How Product-Led News Organisations Are Structured
How to structure a product-led news organisation is the focus of this report. The dynamic nature of product and technology, along with processes and dependencies, means there is no one right way to organise product within a company's structure. The report features 11 case studies designed to show various perspectives and illustrate how news companies around the world are tackling organisation.
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Strategies for Continuously Transforming Your Newsroom
How to continually transform a newsroom is the focus of this report. The report offers seven lessons for newsroom transformation, which it claims is a never-ending process. The report dives into how to position newsrooms for the future and get comfortable with the concept that transformation isn't something news companies complete but rather something they need to instill into their muscle memory.
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How News Publishers Are Using GenAI Right Now
Breaking down what news media companies are doing with generative AI for workflow efficiency and consumer-facing products is the focus of this report. Included in the report are examples from Bauer Media, Ippen Digital, Bayerischer Rundfunk, JP/Politikens, Grupo RBS, DPG Media, HT Media, Politico, Nikkei, Nederlandse Publieke Omroep, Clarin, MediaCorp Singapore, Rede Gazeta, Hearst, HT Media, Trustmedia, Financial Times, Ringier Axel Springer, Mediafin, Stuff, Palm Springs Post, Sanoma Media, Times Internet, The New York Times, Medien Hub Bremen-Nordwest, and Tamedia.
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There Is No Subscription Ceiling for News Media
Breaking down the myth that there is a subscriptions ceiling in news media is the focus of this report. It breaks down six common myths held by publishers today and provides a data-informed answer to each one. Among the report's case studies are the New York Times, Axel Springer, Mediahuis, Haaretz, News24, Advance Local, The Irish Times, Dow Jones, and The Washington Post.
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Engaging New Audiences with Constructive Journalism
How to engage new audiences and combat news avoidance through constructive journalism is the focus of this report. The report dives into how constructive journalism is helping companies change their approach and re-engage audiences with case studies from Austria's Kleine Kinderzeitung, Gannett | USA Today, The Times of India, DRIVE, and Dainik Jagran.
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Using Subscription Cancellations to Retain News Customers
This report is a boots-on-the-ground research project that shares author Robert Skrob's experience with the cancellation process at 14 major media companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. "Using Subscription Cancellations to Retain News Customers" dives into the reasons cancellation processes go wrong, and reveals the five essential elements, without which, Skrob says, media publishers likely are losing more subscribers than they should. Among the report's case studies are The Telegraph, Financial Times, Aftenposten, and Ringier Axel Springer, who walk readers through cancellation processes, giving a closer look at how the processes could be improved.
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How News Media Companies Should Choose a CMS
How news media companies can select the right technology and vendor for their content management system is the focus of this report. The report dives into the basics of CMS, creating critical user journeys, defining new CMS requirements, and how to choose the right providers. Using case studies from Mediahuis in Belgium, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Digitale Medien in Germany, and Stuff in New Zealand, the report walks through the challenges, considerations, and processes of implementing a new CMS.
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Why Some Media Companies Are Betting Big on Audio
The different areas of audio that provide an opportunity for publishers to widen their audiences while boosting engagement and revenue is the focus of this report. It is designed to look at the current possibilities and the promise for the future, allowing media companies to weigh investment opportunities and decide where to place their audio bets. Among the report's case studies are: Prisa, Funke, VOL.AT, News Corp Australia, Stuff, Kvartal, Stampen Media, and Svenska Dagbladet.
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Why Media Ad Sales Teams Need E-Commerce
How news media companies can leverage the revenue opportunities of the post-pandemic e-commerce boom is the focus of this report. It looks at the main areas to be considered when entering the e-commerce space: the trends, which media companies are doing it well already, and how to (re)structure for a robust e-commerce operation. Among the report's examples and case studies are: SPH Media, Gannett, The Independent, The Telegraph, The New York Times, Conde Nast, Buzzfeed, Aftonbladet, and Dagens Nyheter.
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Bringing Newsrooms Into the Business of News
How news publishers can align newsrooms with the rest of the news business to move toward a digital culture is the focus of this report. Bringing newsrooms into the business of news is vital today because of the shift in content economics behind digital consumption habits. How newsrooms are succeeding in this cultural shift is the crux of the report, which is based on INMA Webinars, master classes, conferences, study tours, newsletters, and blogs during the past three years.
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News Media at the Dawn of Generative AI
How news media companies can benefit from quick and immediate wins with generative AI is the focus of this report. Riding a wave of popularity, generative AI vaulted to the top of media c-suites thanks to the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E, among others. "News Media At the Dawn of Generative AI" provides journalists and media professionals a foundation to evaluate the opportunities and threats emanating from the popular technology.
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How News Publishers Can Capitalise On the Newsletter Economy
How news publishers can capitalise on the resurgence of newsletter popularity to increase engagement and drive subscriptions is the focus of this report. The report looks at the newsletter resurgence and what it means for news publishers while sharing case studies and best practices for newsletter strategies. Among the report's case studies are the Winnipeg Free Press, Canada; Funke Media Group and Badische Zeitung in Germany; Time Magazine and The Post and Courier in the United States; Turun Sanomat, Finland; Latinoamérica Piensa/Grupo Octubre, Argentina; Reach, United Kingdom; and Nine Metro Publishing in Australia.
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AI Guide and ChatGPT Promptbook for News Marketers
How news subscription marketers can use generative AI tools to save time, improve scalability, and increase the effectiveness of reader engagement is the focus of this report. This report dives into the capabilities of new AI tools, based on a review by INMA of the top 15 generative AI tools and in-depth testing of the top three of them. It also aims to be a practical guide for marketing teams, including examples of effective prompts, step-by-step instructions, and practical scenarios.
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How Newsrooms Succeed In Google Search
Demystifying Google's search "black box" and highlighting search best practices at leading newsrooms is the focus of this report. "How Newsrooms Succeed In Google Search" zeroes in on the state of Google search, elevates publisher issues about search across Google surfaces, punctuates concerns about the Discover product, and highlights Google objectives and roles in search. It relies on interviews with Google and major publishers on five continents: News Corp Australia, Gannett | USA Today Network, The Guardian, Infoglobo, and HT Media.
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How Automated Journalism Is Shaping the Future of News Media
How automation can accelerate and improve reporting and reshape media business models is the focus of this report. "How Automated Journalism Is Shaping the Future of News Media" covers understanding automated journalism and why it matters, making the case for automated news, using robots for revenue, and six ways to get started. Among the reports' case studies are NTM, Bergens Tidende, Stavanger Aftenblad, FVN, and RADAR.
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A Personalisation Primer for Media Companies
How to strategically assess and demystify the opportunities of personalisation on news media products is the focus of this report. "A Personalisation Primer for Media" seeks to answer key questions from members across the media organisation and those outside of the data team. The report covers evaluating the possible impact of personalisation in products, understanding KPIs, how to ramp up a personalization programme, and what you need to get started.
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Best Personalisaton Practices for News Media
As news publishers begin understanding how to better provide personalisation for customers, they can implement new practices that yield measurable results. Featuring examples and case studies from News Corp Australia, Aftenposten, Gannett, Bild, Mediahuis Netherlands, Schibsted, South China Morning Post, Yahoo, NZZ, Le Figaro, Financial Times, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Sophi.io, this report draws readers deeper into the world of personalisation, giving detailed examples of what news media companies around the world have done.
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What Gen Z + Media Need From Each Other
How news media organisations can engage the next generation of readers by delivering the news they want, on the platforms they trust, is the focus of this report. Using six case studies from around the world, and drawing on research from the Reuters Institute, Pew Research Center, and Borrell Associates in the United States, this report looks at what companies are doing to connect with Gen Z, explains how it's working, and shares what they have planned to continue attracting this important audience segment.
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The Power and Promise of Print Advertising
How print advertising remains central in the marketing mix and how news media companies can leverage successful print strategies from around the globe is the focus of this report. Research backs up what revenues show: Despite misperception of print advertising's effectiveness, the ROI on print advertising works for advertisers, media companies, and audiences. "The Power and Promise of Print Advertising" distils lessons learned during INMA's Print Advertising Innovation Master Class in February, and covers the research, whether print is still attractive to advertisers, rethinking print, getting print on the radar of media buyers, and measuring print ads.
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The Opportunities and Blueprint of XR for Media
How news media organisations can start preparing now for extended reality (XR) to have the skill sets and tools necessary when readers reach mass adoption is the focus of this report. Based on INMA's six-part Master Class series, "How newsrooms can creatively use and report on XR," in partnership with Meta, the report provides a blueprint for news media companies to navigate the new "reality" landscape. The report covers setting the scene for XR, tools and technologies to get started, augmented reality (AR) for news, virtual reality (VR) for news, commercial opportunities of XR, and what the metaverse is.
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7 Steps to a Successful Media Product Process
How media products and features can be developed with both customers in mind and with respect for internal resources by following a simple process is the focus of this report. The seven-step process INMA has built for news media companies fuses together work from a mixture of sources, including interviews with more than 100 product executives from around the world.
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The Benefits and Risks of Media Data Democratisation
How media companies can drive data usage through democratisation is the focus of this report. The report distills the findings of the Audience Analytics Accelerator Latin America 2021, a joint programme by the Meta Journalism Project and INMA, in collaboration with the International Center For Journalists (ICFJ). The project aimed to explore how news media companies can transform their online business by helping them analyse and act on data in new and creative ways. The report sheds light on practical solutions publishers can use to drive data usage through democratisation.
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Exploring Blockchain's Potential to Transform Media
Potential opportunities and impacts of blockchain technologies on news media companies is the focus of this report. Aiming to bridge the broader blockchain world that is transforming other industries back to the news media industry, the report covers content rights management, democratising content creator revenue, redefining the media supply chain, enabling new monetisation options, optimising advertising revenue, and boosting audience engagement.
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Light Readers: Digital Subscriptions' Next Growth Path
Light readers represent the strongest growth path for subscription-mature news media companies, yet the audience segment described as "casual," "infrequent," and "picky" requires deeper study. This report reveals new patterns in reader revenue during the pandemic, the emergence of product and marketing tactics to attract light readers, insights into casual buyers across consumer industries, and a re-sizing of the subscription opportunity ahead.
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The Guide to Smart Data Strategy in Media
News media companies must unlock the value of data insights to strategically develop their subscription business and take full advantage of the pending phaseout of third-party cookies with advertising sales. This report looks at how media companies create data strategies, understand and leverage data, change their operations through data, use AI and ML to enhance efforts, and collaborate to harness the power of data.
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How Product Is Leading Media's New Growth Path
Product is the youngest department at news media companies but also one of the fastest growing. This report looks at what product is, how it has changed organisational structures, and what role it will play in the success of the news media industry of the future.
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The Growing Promise of B2B in Media's Reader Revenue Model
News media companies are expanding into potentially lucrative business-to-business (B2B) subscriptions. This report looks at the differences in consumer vs. B2B subscription strategies, steps to selling B2B subscriptions, and how news media companies are catering their subscription offers to corporations.
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Understanding Ad Tech and Its Challenges For News Publishers
Decoding the complex ad tech ecosystem, this report aims to educate publishers on the mechanics behind online display advertising, examine the surge in regulatory action that may re-set the table for ad tech, and discuss the interplay between privacy and competition.
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Subscription Pricing: From COVID Bump To Sustainable Revenue
The pandemic-driven subscription surge and the rise of segmented approaches to audience management are driving new urgency for sharper pricing strategies by media companies as markets emerge from the worst of COVID-19.
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The Engagement and Economic Promise of News Podcasts
The rise of news podcasts in the fast-emerging voice ecosystem and the possibilities behind monetisation for media companies are the key focuses behind this report. Explore the media podcast road map from ideation to creation to engagement to making money - punctuated by eight industry-leading case studies.
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How News Brands Are Rebuilding Trust
The reinvention of news media's business model can be significantly advanced by newsrooms that restore trust from audiences inundated by fake news and misinformation. This report from The Trust Project lays out a road map for newsrooms based on best practices that advance trust indicators.
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The Economics and Emotion of Reducing Print Days
How news media companies manage the sliding scale economics of print newspapers and execute the emotional balancing act of reducing print days is the focus of this report - notably the U.S. news industry's evolution from seven-day publishing to one- to three-day publishing. Building on case studies, the report looks at the keys behind successful day-of-week print reductions: mission, data, and communication.
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Content-to-Commerce Brings Revenue in Post-Advertising World
Pioneer publishers are launching content-to-commerce initiatives to create new sources of revenue growth. Content-to-commerce reduces the runway between consideration and purchase and offers new business model possibilities, fusing next-generation branding with content marketing, direct-to-consumer product, and e-commerce. INMA shares case studies on first-movers in the content-to-commerce space.
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Why Branded Content Fits This Advertising Moment
Branded content is a strong strategy for today's COVID-influenced market and for consumers influenced by viral videos, on-demand entertainment, and unique experiences. This report looks at branded content opportunities among U.S. news publishers, combined with international case studies that leverage storytelling, build awareness and brand loyalty, capitalise on influencers, and create conversion tactics.
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What a Pandemic Taught Media About Community Engagement
In the midst of a rapidly changing pandemic and upended workplaces, publishers created unprecedented ways to engage their communities. Innovating daily, news media companies around the world delivered what readers were looking for and shifted each time those needs shifted. Learn how 33 media companies in 14 countries engaged their communities through engaging content, educational content, outreach for and to advertisers, virtual events, philanthropy, and positive news during COVID.
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News Media's Pandemic Leadership Opportunities
The COVID-19 crisis has provided the management opportunity of a generation to accelerate a digital- and data-led growth strategy that otherwise was mired in cultural crosswinds. Learn how news publishers should navigate through today's pandemic environment by accelerating change through the chaos, what areas of the company to accelerate, broader opportunities for a post-pandemic future, and how publishers are embracing their change opportunities.
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The Potential Impact of Work-From-Home on Newsrooms
Up to six months into the COVID-influenced work-from-home phenomenon, newsroom managers are trying to determine what to do now, what to do in the next year, and what this crisis may do to the way newsroom employees work in the future. This report delves into how WFM is progressing in the United States and what employees need to effectively work from home as some media companies prepare to remain remote at least until the end of 2020. Might the shift be permanent? This report brings together research, experts, and case studies to shed a light on what leadership skills and remote guidance are needed in a work-from-home culture.
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The "New Abnormal" of Media Advertising
"The 'New Abnormal' of Media Advertising" mashes together long-term trends in advertising and the peculiar circumstances surrounding today's pandemic-fed lockdowns to project forward on what the next 18 months looks like for news media companies. Notably, the new report identifies advertising opportunities in the downturn. Punctuated by best-practice case studies, the report looks at recovery models and advertising forecasts, a platform-by-platform examination into what is expected to happen in advertising, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for news publishers in 2020-2021.