Scoops will matter more than ever

"2026 will bring more noise. More AI slop. More industry consolidation. More journos going down the independent route, as I did in early 2025. But scoops will matter more than ever. What sets apart one outlet, one newsletter, one reporter from another is the ability to break impactful news that stands the test of time. That requires boots-on-the-ground reporting, it requires experience and expertise, and it requires trust not just from sources but from readers."

"What AI cannot tell the punters (Breaker shorthand for the readers) is new information. And what will be even more prized and valued in 2026 is enterprise reporting. The ability to go out into the world and find out valuable information, stand it up, tap it up, and relay it to the punters. We have gone through a period where aggregation and opinion were all-important - they cost less and they're quicker than investigative and enterprise journalism."

"For too long, our industry gave away journalism for free. When we started correcting course with paywalls and subscription offerings, it seemed like it was too late. 2026 will see the public's appetite for scoops hungrier than ever - and the good news is they'll be prepared to pay a premium for them. It's from starting Breaker that I've realized people will pay for something they didn't already know. It helps, too, if you can make them laugh at something they do know."

2026 will bring increased noise from AI-generated content, industry consolidation, and more journalists going independent via newsletters. Scoops and enterprise reporting will gain importance and command premium payment from readers. Breaking impactful news requires boots-on-the-ground reporting, experience, expertise, and trust from both sources and readers. AI cannot create genuinely new information, so original investigative work becomes more valuable than aggregation and opinion. Paywalls and subscription models will regain traction as audiences pay for exclusive scoops. Legacy writers will increasingly join newsletter platforms as the industry moves from unbundling toward rebundling around outlets that break news.

Read at Nieman Lab