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At the 2024 Global News Forum, CEOs and journalism leaders highlighted the battle for influence, revenue, relevance and respect, as well as the opportunity to capitalize on the trend toward personalization of news services.
Thepchai Yong, executive adviser at the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Thailand, said one of the main challenges now is how to restore confidence in the industry at a time when some news organizations have been forced to cut staff and reduce output due to falling audiences and revenue. “The most worrying thing is that various news sources may disappear. This means that the role of the media in reporting the truth and acting as a great white ship of truth… will be seriously affected by the reduction in the number of existing media. The role of the media as a watchdog of those in power will also be affected.”
He said that while we may have only seen the tip of the iceberg of the impact of new technologies such as generative AI, there are opportunities. “News will become more personalized, localized and individualized. So this should provide good opportunities for established media to meet this demand in the future.” He also encouraged news organizations to provide a forum for a variety of views and opinions.
Francis Toral, head of news at ABS-CBN in the Philippines, said the future of news will be determined by “reach, revenue, relevance and respectability.” “Because fewer people are watching our news, our reach is getting smaller and TV advertising revenue is declining,” she explained. “It is undeniable that people are avoiding news and are tired of it. Audiences now prefer content creators and influencers to mainstream media. This affects our respectability,” she added.
She said ABS-CBN’s response is to preserve and optimize its legacy, continue to improve existing resources, promote a digital-first strategy, and tell stories in a way that “attracts and captivates the audience.” She encouraged news editors and reporters to think from the audience’s perspective, provide unique content, and explore opportunities to attract international audiences on digital platforms. “If we do the same things in the same way, we cannot expect different results.”
RTM Malaysia director Suhaimi Sulaiman said RTM had tested hypotheses about shortening attention spans before shortening news and changing its reporting style. “We felt that people’s attention spans were getting shorter and shorter, and they were no longer reading the news. They didn’t like the long evening news. So we experimented. We shortened the one-hour news… We compressed everything into 15-minute news, but there were more stories in the news. Some news shows saw a 100% increase in ratings and audience, some 200%, some 300%. That’s a lot for us. That’s on the terrestrial side. We’re also engaging viewers on OTT and digital.”
One of the main challenges, he said, was to move away from the traditional approach to journalism, which focuses on who, what, where, when, why and how, and instead focus on how to engage the audience, including using animation and cartoon graphics to explain issues. “We realised we needed to move away from some of the things we were taught in journalism school,” he said, adding: “Our journalists are now trained to think like marketers – to think about the needs and wants of their clients. And that approach has worked well for us. Finding the balance between nation-building and your duties as a true journalist and editor – at the same time you have to make sure you have the numbers. If not, you’re not attractive to advertisers.”
He added: “Looking ahead, using artificial intelligence, having robots do all the menial work for you… while you do the higher-level thinking – which is the marketing part, the storytelling part – and most importantly, what is your unique selling point.”
Lyn-Yi Chung, head of digital growth at CNA Singapore, said one of the biggest issues is news fatigue, and editors should move away from news that is always dominated by sad and bad news, which is based on the traditional approach of “if it bleeds, it leads”. “Platforms are pulling out of news – you’ll see the likes of Facebook’s headlines no longer being friends with the news… TikTok suppressing certain topics in the news… so you’ll see all these platforms trying to package news in a safe way for users who might not be watching news specifically on their platforms. So our reach is limited, which also limits our revenue opportunities overall. So this is an opportunity for us to reinvent ourselves.”
She said CNA was an audience-first organisation. “The audience in the morning is not the same as the audience in the evening. We have to be prepared for the asymmetry of news consumption. News should not be ephemeral; it should be searchable.” She said news content should be modular, properly meta-tagged and available on a variety of platforms. Lyn-Yi added: “One thing I would say to all broadcasters and publishers is, yes – you are used to being the authoritative, reliable source, but actually people are just trying to ease their anxieties in this very divided and difficult world. So how can you reinvent yourself as an intelligent, well-informed, trustworthy friend… The key is to come across as authentic and genuine. And that’s where I think the huge opportunity for broadcasters like us is. Essentially, video is having its moment because video takes you to a time and place in that moment, and that authenticity you often can’t recreate through other media.”
Ömer Faruk Tanrıverdi, deputy general manager and head of international broadcasting at TRT Turkey, said news leaders should be open to innovation in the digital age and should not view artificial intelligence or technological developments as risks but opportunities. “We need to be prepared, improve quality and be ready to deal with competitors,” he said. “I am very optimistic about the future of journalism. We need to be optimistic, but it’s really about bringing stakeholders together. We have to unite and build the future together.” He said TRT will soon launch a super app that will allow viewers to customize and personalize news services.
He added: “I say, let us take the lead in shaping the future of journalism through innovation. Commit to truth and transparency, and ensure journalism relies on reliable beacons. AI is not only transforming journalism; it is also transforming our mission, from customised content to global fact-checking. We are building a future where every story matters, every voice is heard, and truth prevails. We should create that future together, not just as the ABU, the EBU, the African Union and other unions, but also as public broadcasters around the world.”
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