Loyalty, not scale, is key

"2026 must bring an emphasis on engaging the readers we already have - it's far cheaper to keep them than to get new ones - building up direct, loyal relationships through newsletters, community events and Q&As, podcasts and videos, and by using explainers, analysis, and the best visual journalism. All of these should be used to demonstrate why we are needed and, as importantly, why we are different."

"AI will help power this shift, for example, via personalization, and it will clearly become more central to the industry. We will see news products quietly adapting to individual readers and their preferences, and having an impact behind the scenes via routine tasks and workflow. My hope is that AI addresses the tasks which will save us time, and doesn't take away jobs, but perhaps that's the optimist in me."

"It's also time to invest in our journalists as brands. People trust faces and voices more often than institutions, and want to build up relationships with them, so stop worrying about puffing up your biggest talent - they are absolutely vital. Let journalists become "creators" (even though that word makes many people shudder) and give them the opportunity to build their own franchises within your newsroom."

Media organizations should focus on engaging existing readers because retaining audiences is cheaper than acquiring new ones. Build direct, loyal relationships via newsletters, community events, Q&As, podcasts, videos, explainers, analysis, and strong visual journalism. Use those formats to show value and distinctiveness while meeting reader needs and staying relevant, trusted, and useful. Emphasize loyalty rather than pure scale. Deploy AI to personalize experiences and automate routine tasks, saving journalists’ time while preserving human voice and trust. Invest in journalists as visible brands, allow them to build franchises, and accept turnover as part of growth.

Read at Nieman Lab