"The news business isn't just evolving - it's undergoing a rapid, technology-driven redefinition. That's the view from Thomas Jacob, chief operating officer of the global press association WAN-IFRA, who believes media companies must move past platform dependency, diversify revenue streams, and leverage AI responsibly to secure their future. For publishers, the key to survival isn't just about going digital; it's about going authentic, consultative, and hyper-relevant."
"According to Jacob, AI is proving to be a game-changer across nearly every function in the media. It's not just a back-end tool; it's transforming operations from the newsroom floor to the commercial engine. In newsrooms, AI is automating routine tasks, speeding up transcription, and assisting with research, leading to "meaningful time savings" and "higher productivity" for staff. For the consumer, it powers targeted distribution strategies, recommendation engines, and personalized newsletters. Commercially, AI unlocks deeper data insights and smarter products."
"Jacob stresses that this adoption must be responsible, advising media companies to start not with the tech, but with their values. He strongly recommends establishing clear governance frameworks on accuracy, transparency, and copyright, and involving legal and editorial teams early. While direct revenue from generative AI is nascent (only 9% of media leaders reported it in a recent survey), the indirect benefits of cutting operational costs are already real and measurable."
The news business is undergoing a rapid, technology-driven redefinition that requires moving beyond platform dependency and single-stream models. Media companies must diversify revenue streams and prioritize impactful, trusted journalism as their core offering. AI is transforming nearly every function: automating routine newsroom tasks, speeding transcription, assisting research, enabling targeted distribution, recommendation engines, and personalized newsletters, and unlocking deeper commercial data insights. Responsible adoption requires starting from organizational values, establishing governance on accuracy, transparency and copyright, and involving legal and editorial teams early. Direct revenue from generative AI remains nascent, but operational cost reductions and productivity gains are already measurable.
Read at The Drum
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