Twenty-five years ago, the internet revolution began to transform the media world. With AI, the changes will be foundational – but does that present a threat or an opportunity?
On Thursday 24 April, the BSME brought together an expert panel at the Bankside Hotel. Bryan Glick, editor-in-chief of Computer Weekly, chaired a panel featuring insights from Jatin Aythora, director of Research & Development at the BBC; Robin Booth, managing director at EMAP Publishing Ltd; Harriet Meyer, financial journalist and AI trainer; Mary Fitzgerald, director of programs at Open Society Foundations; and Greg Williams, deputy global editorial director at WIRED.
The discussion revealed ways that journalists, editors and publishers can embrace AI as a tool for innovation, to reshape and reimagine their roles, as well as the evolving needs of audiences in this new era.
Photography and video production by David Cotter
VIDEO
KEY TAKAWAYS
Engage with AI – NOW. “It’s an exciting time to be in journalism if you’re willing to embrace AI,” says Harriet Meyer. Overcoming fear and scepticism is the key to unlocking its potential, from freeing up workloads, analysing data sets, or creating new story formats. Editors need to “be open with teams – journalists want to know how and when they’re meant to use AI, responsibly, and get confident with these tools.”
”Throw assumptions out of the window,” says Mary Fitzgerald. The capabilities of what AI can do may be limitless. Focus on the journalistic skills that are uniquely human – on-the-ground reporting, developing relationships with sources, and staying committed to truth-seeking. As Jatin Aythora points out, right now “audiences do care if a piece of information was synthetically created or not”.
Dodge the “tsunami of beige” and look for new revenue models. AI can produce articles quickly and in large volumes, says Robin Booth, but this frees up journalists to focus on the compelling, quality stories that matter. AI can be used to “sustain good quality journalism for longer”. Look for ways to generate new revenue, using AI tools on existing content to increase subscriber engagement.
Be audience-centric. “Develop those really strong ties with your audience,” says Greg Williams, reminding us that “data is everything” in making sure that publishers own a direct relationship with their readers. AI will revolutionise consumption, says Mary Fitzgerald – be aware of audience shifts in how content is discovered, absorbed and understood.
Takeaways from the discussion written by Lucy Keitley, MA Magazine Journalism student at City, University of London.
