Earl Wilkinson, INMA CEO, started off the 85th-annual World Congress of News Media with Donald Trump literally, and figuratively looming over proceedings. But while Wilkinson pointed to Trump as the “elephant in the room” he was very clear that Trump was only one of a number of dangerous elements potentially threatening those assembled.
Trump, Wilkinson noted, “is testing the guardrails of our democracy in the United States [including] tightening of press freedom regimes.” Yet at the same time, for news publishers he is the story, and with that there is hope in the way the press has responded. “Look at what’s happening in our news organisations,” Wilkinson said. “There’s a renewed sense of mission, a surge in investigative reporting, and an expansion of fact-checking operations.”
That message of potential renewal in the face of threat looks likely to be the ongoing theme of this conference. Trump may be the headline-grabber, but he is not the biggest rogue pachyderm inside the walls. That would be technology, and the way it is rewriting the relationship between publishers and audience.
Digital transformation, not just digital
“The era of ‘digital transformation’ is behind us,” insists Wilkinson. Instead of adapting to new technology the changes are so profound, and fast multiplying, that the issue is a complete top-to-bottom rethink of media.
The first wave swept away the old models, imposed ‘digital-first’, redefined audiences and overhauled editorial products. Hybridization of formats (text, audio, video) is no longer a trend, but a fact of life. Yet it is the strategic architecture – products, organisation, audience relations – that needs to be rebuilt.
And this task promises to be tougher than the last: “If you found digital transformation difficult, you’re not going to like what’s coming.”
So what is the answer?
From anonymous audience to engaged audience
Wilkinson outlines a future for the media based on four pillars: a direct relationship with the public, the strategic use of data, augmentation by AI, and an assertive legal stance.
As far as data is concerned, the time has come for activation: “We have lakes..of data… Where are the sales?” He calls for these resources to be linked to concrete editorial and commercial uses.
On AI, he warns of the ‘double disruption’ it is causing: transforming journalistic practices, but also public uses. Finally, he stresses the urgency of defending our interests in the face of technology giants and regulators.
Wilkinson points to a fundamental shift: the media are moving from the search for a massive audience to building lasting relationships with identified readers. This change has been accelerated by the end of the reign of third-party platforms and the rise of ‘zero click’ behaviour.
Loyalty, retention and commitment are becoming indicators as strategic as raw traffic. The INMA study on ‘quality reads’ illustrates this: one relevant read is worth more than ten volatile views. In order to resist the deterioration in algorithmic reach, only a selected and known audience can guarantee a future for subscription models and targeted advertising.
“We’re seeing this from scale to direct relationships,” said Wilkinson. “We’re moving from chasing anonymous scale to cultivating direct, known, and engaged audiences.”
To facilitate that there are also changing practices when it comes to implementing technology. Large in-house tech projects are uncompetitive as technology evolves so fast. Or as Wilkinson simply put it; “we were building the technology. Now we buy it”.
The brand reborn
So where should we be focussing our energy as publishers? Just as the danger and disinformation of the Trump era has given new emphasis to the timelessness of fact checking, so the challenge of technology and reader relationships may be bringing us back full circle; “all roads seem to lead to this rebirth of brand.”
Faced with the standardisation brought about by generative AI, Wilkinson urges publishers to put the brand back at the heart of their strategy. Too often silenced by the diktat of SEO, it loses its personality, emotion and anchorage.
He cites the campaigns of the Times of India and the Norwegian daily VG as examples of strong, human and memorable communication. Humour, proximity, shared values: these are all assets that the media need to reactivate. ‘If AI standardises everything, the brand remains our difference’.
New technology and trends are coming at us fast, but brands and readers should be something we understand better than anyone. We don’t control the platforms, but we can pick and choose the technologies that best serve readers and brands. Taming the elephants is within our abilities. Or as Wilkinson bluntly concludes: “You have the keys. It’s time to use them.”
About Upgrade Media: Upgrade Media is a creative agency, strategy consultancy, training center and media transformation think tank, through its brand New World Encounters.
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