Well, this is interesting. The New York Times's WhatsApp channel now has over 13 million followers, sharing updates via text messages—and you can even react and share what they post. The news industry is constantly being challenged by the modern world, and to survive, professionals must learn to adapt. Fast.

The New Gatekeepers: Search Engines and Social Media

Search engines like Google and social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have become dominant forces in the dissemination of news. News avoidance is yet another mystery many news outlets have yet to solve. As we look to the future, a key question arises: how can good journalism change and evolve? The answer lies in how well news organisations adapt to the new dynamics of information dissemination, audience engagement, and revenue generation..

The opportunity

While these platforms regulate the reach of news, they also offer news outlets significant opportunities to expand their audience. According to Reuters:

We've transitioned from a world where media organisations were the gatekeepers to one where they still create the news agenda, but platform companies now control access to audiences.

Prof. Rasmus Kleis Nielsen & Meera Selva @ Reuters

However, this requires employees to master SEO and social media strategies to ensure that news stories reach their intended audience effectively.

Top Tips: Master SEO & hone social media strategy

  • No one is born an SEO wizard; everyone starts somewhere. Here’s a helpful SEO starter kit with tips to kickstart your SEO learning journey.
  • Ensure all news items are published in a form that’s appropriate for the place and audience that’s going to see it - what works on your website likely won’t do that brilliantly on TikTok.

The Role of AI in Newsrooms

According to the Reuters Institute, the adoption of artificial intelligence in newsrooms offers advantages you can’t (and shouldn’t) overlook. Here are the results from a 2024 survey on what media professionals consider 'very important' in using AI in their work:

As shown, AI-driven tasks like back-end automation (tagging and copyediting), distribution and recommendations drastically surpassed other AI applications in newsrooms.

The opportunity

When combining these elements with AI, news outlets can significantly improve the reach and impact of their stories. That is why smartocto.ai was developed: to be the artificially intelligent virtual assistant newsrooms need to work more efficiently.

Top Tip

Have a 20-minute coffee chat with one of our team members. They’ll bring you up to speed on the latest AI tools you can utilise and help you start future proofing your newsroom.

Revenue Challenges in the Digital Age

Revenue generation remains a significant hurdle for news outlets. For decades, print advertising and subscriptions were the primary sources of income. However, digital advertising has not yet compensated for the decline in print advertising revenue. Subscription models offer another source of income, but they also present challenges in convincing audiences to pay for news.

The opportunity

According to a study conducted by Columbia Journalism Review on building revenue in the news industry, there are various strategies to maximise revenue in a newsroom, depending on the type of newsroom you operate:

  1. Are you a niche news site? Subscriptions are the way to go. A subscription model can be particularly effective for publications targeting strong institutional audiences in niche industries, especially when the cost of industry-relevant media can be covered by the subscribers' employers, according to CJR.
  2. Refrain from relying on a single revenue stream. Digitally native publications like MinnPost, VTDigger, and Berkeleyside use various revenue streams, including advertising, corporate underwriting, foundation funding, article syndication, direct audience revenue, and more.

Top Tip

Understanding what captivates your audience is crucial for growth. Learn more about how our tool can help increase your subscriptions by 39%.

Quality journalism is here to stay

One of the evident tensions in newsrooms in recent years has been the relationship between editorial work and technological development. At smartocto, our goal is not to alter how journalists work, rather to ensure that quality journalism is maintained and supported in today’s challenging age. Our mission is to provide you with the tools needed to ensure your newsroom's success, making your stories more strategic and profitable.

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