NEW RESEARCH | Newsrooms in a constant process of innovation

First, there were the digital platforms. And today, AI is redrawing the map for newsrooms around the world. Researchers can now tell you about the challenges of being an industry in a constant state of innovation.

Around the turn of the millennium and about 15 years later, digital platforms such as Google and Meta Platforms (which is behind several social networking services) were very important channels for news publishers to reach their target audiences. They worked feverishly on innovative methods to optimize content and consequently gain maximum exposure. The industry relied on the platforms to reach their target audiences and to generate revenue. During this time, publishers became dependent on the platforms.

– However, around 2017-2018, they became increasingly cautious as they realized the huge influence the platforms had on news production, distribution, audience engagement and revenue. So they slowly started changing their methods and processes to reduce platform dependency,” says Sherwin Chua, a PhD student at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg.

The platforms still have a strong influence on newsrooms today. Journalists are largely at the mercy of rapidly changing algorithms, platforms’ digital infrastructures, terms of use and the products and services they offer.

– Take Meta as an example. They not only adjust their algorithms frequently, but also change their conditions and products. Earlier this year, Meta stopped supporting its own publishing platform Instant articles, despite having promoted it to news publishers for years. This was of course very challenging for publishers who had invested resources in Instant Articles.

Balance is key

Sherwin Chua says that newsrooms are always working to find ways to navigate a changing digital media environment dominated by platforms.

– They are in a constant state of innovation. It is not only about adopting new strategies for platforms, but also about evaluating which existing strategies should be modified or terminated.

The big challenge is to find a balance where editors use the platforms in a way that benefits them, but at the same time does not make them too dependent.

– It is of course a challenge and there is no universal solution. Individual publishers in different countries and markets need to find their own versions of balance.

Practical implications

Today, individuals with platform expertise, such as social media editors, digital editors and product managers, are an integral part of newsrooms. They are becoming increasingly valuable in finding the golden balance. But there are also dangers in focusing too much on skills.

– There is a risk of overemphasizing digital skills at the expense of core journalistic values such as accuracy or balance in reporting,” says Sherwin Chua.

What are publishers’ main headaches today when it comes to digital platforms and innovative practices?

– I would say it is the continuous evaluation of how and where to allocate their resources. Should they invest resources to develop their own products and services, or should they focus on training their journalists in platform skills – or perhaps a combination of both? If it is a combination, what is the right balance between these investments?

Not just victims

According to Sherwin Chua, publishers are good at innovating in different ways to find their unique balance in relation to digital platforms.

– A very important insight of my research is that news publishers are not victims of the platform giants. They are highly capable of creatively developing their own strategies and approaches when interacting with the platforms.

If you can speculate, what will the innovation process around AI look like for the vast majority of publishers in the coming years?

– They will continue to integrate different types of AI in, for example, news production and dissemination, including automated reporting, and curated content. But I believe that AI integration in journalism should always be guided by the principles of journalism and the broader societal role that journalism plays.

– The innovation process will require continuous development and there is no one-size-fits-all template. In a wider context, individual news publishers in different regions and markets will need to find their own customized configuration of AI tools and services to suit their needs.

Do you have any messages for news publishers in the face of the AI paradigm shift?

– I strongly recommend that you carefully consider the potential pitfalls of an over-reliance on AI, and continue to focus on your journalistic mission. Finding the right balance is crucial. It is about maintaining a sense of balance and awareness when incorporating technology into your workflows and decision-making processes. While AI can offer benefits, it is important to avoid over-reliance and to be vigilant that journalistic values and principles are not compromised,” says Sherwin Chua.

Contact sherwin.chua@jmg.gu.se

More about the thesis
Sherwin Chua defends his doctoral thesis on September 29 at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg with the thesis News Publishers´Innovation of Practices Amid Platform Dominance. To the thesis.