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ABC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Geraldine Doogue takes on the future of journalism in 2025 Andrew Olle lecture
This is an edited version of the 28th annual televised Andrew Olle Media Lecture delivered by ABC journalist Geraldine Doogue in Sydney on Friday, July 25. What a year to be delivering the lecture on the media of the future — or on any subject that requires some certainties or good prophecy — because nothing seems certain in our lives. For quite a while after the invitation to present the 2025 Andrew Olle Media Lecture arrived, I'd settled on those immortal WB Yeats lines as my title: "The centre cannot hold … The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yes, those words certainly describe our times. But it just felt too defensive and grim, and I didn't want to leave you all like that. So I settled on "Not Drowning, Waving" as my title, which somehow seemed more apt, with a touch of irony. It is all a bit grim: no doubt about it for those of us who love the media, love working inside it, consuming it, believing it's vital to our way of life. Roy Greenslade, the UK media analyst, was pretty blunt back in 2016 when he said: "It is time to recognise that the whole UK newspaper industry is heading for a cliff fall, that tipping point when there is no hope of a reversal of fortune." The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford has been forensically examining this. Prospect magazine headlined their coverage of the institute's latest report with: "Journalism is in freefall — and the public doesn't care". That rider has stayed with me. "The public doesn't miss yesterday's news, but journalists miss the public," writes the article's author, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen. As he explains, current trends suggest at best a continued retreat, as the press serves fewer people. It may ultimately end up with a role akin to contemporary art or classical music: highly valued by a privileged few, regarded with indifference by the many. That's our existential crisis, though the fine print of the Reuters research does indicate that the public, in theory, is still with us. It's just that other options loom as better. An article by 360 Info, an outlet that bills itself as "Research Reuters", argues that media players are involved in a war of attention, competing against outlets whose stock-in-trade is harnessing rage and anger. Of course, it is also true that media consumers have become our competitors by creating their own bespoke news outlets — a great irony. "Scare stories about the problems associated with digital media will not bring people back to news," Nielsen writes. "A wiser course of action might be to impress people, rather than try to depress them. "The people best positioned to forge a different path are those journalists and publishers who accept that the next step is to meet people where they are. The aim should not be to take journalism backwards, but to create something new." But what would that look and sound like? Christopher Clark, a professor of modern history at Cambridge University, recently wrote an essay called "The End of Modernity". "A crisis is unfolding before our eyes — and also in our heads," its subtitle read. Before the modern age, people obtained information "from individuals, by word of mouth". With the advent of the modern media industry, "rumour-mongers gave way to trained journalists". The media of the modern era, he writes, "created its own mythology, a story we could tell ourselves, a means of situating ourselves in time, of understanding where we came from and where we were heading". But this modern system, Professor Clark says, is disintegrating before our eyes. "The multi-faceted nature of contemporary politics, the present of turmoil and change without a clear sense of direction, is causing enormous uncertainty," he writes. "It helps explain why we are so easily unsettled by the agitations of the present and why we find it so difficult to plot our course." Maybe, he wonders, there's a general reversal taking place. The gossip-mongers of the internet have once again seized the initiative, leading to the fragmentation of knowledge and opinions. "It has never been so difficult to think calmly," Professor Clark writes. And yet, how necessary it is. Perhaps our journalistic egos have become wrapped up in hitting the headlines ourselves. Who among us can honestly say we were impervious to the Woodward-Bernstein achievements around Watergate? Two young bloods, nobly jousting with the deeply flawed Richard Nixon and his establishment and bringing him down. Journalistic nobility, then super-stardom! We media workers will always have a duty to warn citizens of danger and incompetence, alert them to what's not solved, why today might be different from yesterday: the classic role of the fourth estate. However, I do wonder whether the breadth of the community and its range of tastes and interests are sufficiently canvassed, and whether we're more energised by displaying incompetence rather than searching for competence. The latter could be a real service, though it may not yield that fabulous rush of revelation and schadenfreude. I have long believed that reporting achievements makes for a very good first paragraph. It might in fact persuade doubters that we really are interested in the wider community, not just overturning governments or winning a scalp. Mathias Döpfner, head of German media group Alex Springer, believes one of the reasons people are losing trust in the media is because many confuse "journalism for activism". "More and more young people want to become journalists because they want to improve the world," he told The Sunday Times. "I think that's a dangerous misunderstanding of journalism." In this communitarian model I'm reflecting on, I see a renewal of the covenant between the public and the journalist, of clearly making the effort to be fair and accurate. We're not there to tell people about the comfortable status quo. To some extent, we are there to bother them, to introduce some alert and alarm. And no, we can't guarantee we'll be fully objective, but we can observably try, and be seen to be doing so or judged for not. The public can draw its own conclusions. Intellectual openness is, for me, the glittering prize. That's what I look for in colleagues. And I suspect the public does too. This all dovetails with other, bigger needs within the culture. I would argue that we might well have reached peak-individualism, a sociological urge that manifests in all those solitary searches on the net for some bliss — maybe sometimes found. And yet so many of them are seeking ways to avoid loneliness, separateness or alienation. I don't think we thrive on individualism. We're all looking for green shoots: that's the truth of it. After all, the BBC had to invent all those looks and props and sounds around news presentation, which we simply take for granted now. Moving past individual gossip to something more formal involved massive creativity. We clearly need it again. And to my mind, we need to lionise creativity and service beyond individual achievement to routinely engage lots more people, more regularly. Otherwise, we simply won't have an industry at scale. It won't be prosperous enough to offer careers or cadetships to young people. All sorts of people will end up as artists working in garrets, rationing their time and money, occasionally striking it rich, mostly doing something else. That's no answer. I haven't talked about AI, or the innards of dis- or misinformation. I can't even give you specific new models of this communitarian emphasis I'm discussing. I wish I could. But if we're passive, we might lose this gem of ours, this buoy of modernity. We might lose this industry that I adored from day one, back in 1972, when I wandered up the corridor of Newspaper House at 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth, on a hot January day and said, "Is there a way in, I wonder?" Thank goodness they said yes.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Catching the AI slipstream
The world may be treating AI like an awkward dinner guest, but 44% of Indians have already invited it to move in permanently. According to the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2025, Indians are the biggest consumers of AI-related news. This means that hybrid teams and prompt engineering are turning AI from competitor to collaborator. The transformation is already here. For CMOs, this is the new Monday morning reality. As Indians increasingly use these platforms for news consumption and AI becomes more embedded in brand communication, we asked leading marketing executives two questions: Are you rethinking your content and messaging strategies to be more relevant in AI-driven environments? Do you see the CMO role evolving into a more tech-oriented one? Ashwin Moorthy, CMO, India, Godrej Consumer Products 'AI's impact on marketing will be seismic, disrupting the entire value chain — from consumer research to pricing decisions. Sophisticated pattern recognition and data analysis capabilities will transform everything. 'CMOs need to understand AI applications and work with partners who build solutions, not necessarily LLM technicalities. Critical concerns include data security with ring-fenced ecosystems and preventing data hallucinations. My biggest worry: Junior marketers becoming AI-dependent — they may not develop the intuition needed for senior-level decisions.' Sidharth Shakdher, CMO, PayTM 'The CMO's role is becoming highly tech-oriented, evolving from traditional marketing to autonomous AI-driven systems. Unlike previous digital marketing phases, AI represents technology that thinks and acts independently. 'Modern CMOs must control and harness these autonomous AI agents across different marketing channels and functions. The challenge is building systems to monitor, measure and control this autonomous thinking while maintaining oversight of AI-driven marketing tasks.' Jan Bures, EVP, sales, marketing and digital, Skoda Volkswagen 'AI is crucial for our messaging strategy across Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley. We use AI for analytics, trend analysis and content creation. It helps us reach broader audiences and connect with people in areas we wouldn't normally access. When you integrate AI-relevant content into messaging, you achieve higher reach and engagement. We recognise that everything digital leaves traces, so we must work with AI rather than ignore it.' Raj Rishi Singh, CMO, MakeMyTrip 'The CMO's role is undeniably evolving in the age of AI. Consumer journeys are evolving and we have to constantly reimagine and reshape our engagement strategy, both on and off our apps. Today, we have the power to hyper-personalise creatives and be contextually relevant across platforms and moments, in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago. 'Marketing today is both an art and a science. While creativity and storytelling remain as important as ever, understanding data, leveraging technology and orchestrating real-time experiences have become equally essential. We're actively preparing for this shift by investing in tech capabilities within our marketing teams, fostering closer collaboration with product and data science, continuously rewiring our playbook to stay ahead of the curve.' Pawandip Singh, vice-president, marketing, Rapido 'Today's CMOs must balance technology with storytelling. I'm equipping all teams — brand, copy, design, video — with AI capabilities that unlock creativity and streamline production. AI helps tailor messaging, enhance visual identity and produce engaging video at scale. Through accessibility and continuous upskilling, our teams remain agile. My goal is to merge human creativity with AI-driven insights for more relevant, memorable brand experiences.' Zubin Kutar, head of digital marketing, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts 'AI tools are becoming primary information touchpoints, not just search alternatives. Traditional content structures won't work — we need AI-readable, concise and context-rich inputs. 'Modern CMOs must understand AI tool stacks, prompt engineering and automation flows, blending creative and systems thinking. This requires AI upskilling across teams, running prompt labs and closer collaboration with product and data teams. AI is both a challenge and an opportunity.' Maneesh Krishnamurthy, head of marketing, eyewear division, Titan Company 'New-age consumers increasingly use AI platforms for news and research. We measure our share of voice in AI environments and adjust content accordingly. 'We built Gen AI capabilities in-house a year ago — now over 50% of our advertising and content is AI-generated. Generative AI has multiplied possibilities for consumer engagement, bringing speed and flexibility to our teams while maintaining competitive advantage.' Deepika Deepti, head of marketing, Bata India 'CMO roles are evolving into hybrid tech-oriented leaders, as AI transforms brand communication efficiency. We're upskilling in-house and extended teams, making careful martech tool choices and collaborating closely with tech and data teams. 'We've established governance for ethical, brand-safe AI use. The shift enhances creativity through smarter, faster, more precise marketing. We're not preparing for this shift — we're already implementing it successfully.' Gaurav Agarwal, co-founder, Tata 1mg 'Healthcare content is shifting from keyword-based to Q&A approaches, requiring more referenced, up-to-date data. We've always followed Q&A-based content with deep FAQs on medicines and healthcare topics. 'Our content has been living and breathing rather than static. AI acceleration means going deeper, refreshing faster and making questions more conversational. The CMO role has been transitioning to tech-oriented for years, and AI is accelerating this evolution.' Prashant Sharma, CMO, TMRW 'As AI becomes central to Indian information consumption, CMO roles are evolving from creative-focused to tech and data-led. We must design adaptive, real-time brand experiences that AI platforms understand and amplify. 'We're investing in AI literacy across teams, building agile content frameworks and partnering with tech. Tomorrow's CMO blends creativity with technological expertise, using AI to predict needs, personalise at scale and drive precise growth.' Sai Narayan, CMO, 'Technology is our growth accelerator. The CMO's role is intertwining with product, tech and data functions, as AI reshapes consumer engagement. Modern CMOs must think like technologists. Marketing now involves real-time experience delivery and automation alongside storytelling.'
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
US Turns To Social Media For News - But Fears Of Misinformation Rise
Newspaper on web portal and website Traditional news media are losing influence in the U.S., with, for the first time, most people accessing news via social media and video networks. However, according to a new report from the Reuters Institute, this is fueling misinformation, with more than half of people telling the researchers that they're concerned about their ability to tell what is true from what is false when it comes to online news. Online influencers and personalities are seen as the biggest threat worldwide, along with national politicians, both cited by 47%. Regionally, concern about influencers is highest in African countries such as Nigeria and Kenya, while politicians are seen as the biggest threat in the U.S., Spain, and much of Eastern Europe including Serbia, Slovakia and Hungary. AI chatbots and interfaces are starting to emerge as a news source, though on a small scale - only 7% of survey respondents said they use it for news each week. That figure's 15% for the under-25s. And audiences in most countries remain skeptical about the use of AI in the news, and are more confident when humans are involved. "These data may be of some comfort to news organizations hoping that AI might increase the value of human-generated news," the researchers said. "To that end we find that trusted news brands, including public service news brands in many countries, are still the most frequently named place people say they go when they want to check whether something is true or false online, along with official (government) sources." This was true across age groups, though younger people were proportionately more likely than older groups to use both AI chatbots and social media to check information. The report highlights national differences, with the U.S. moving towards online news sources at a faster rate than the rest of the world. The proportion that say social media are their main source of news, for example, is relatively flat in Japan and Denmark, though it has also increased in other countries with polarized politics such as the UK (20%) and France (19%)," the researchers said. "But in terms of overall dependence the United States seems to be on a different path – joining a set of countries in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia where heavy social media and political polarization have been part of the story for some time." There's a big trend towards a personality-driven alternative media sector, with more than one in five of the U.S sample saying they came across news or commentary from popular podcaster Joe Rogan in the week after Donald Trump's inauguration, including a disproportionate number of young men. Meanwhile, 14% said the same about former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, with other widely accessed personalities including Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Ben Shapiro from the right, and Brian Tyler Cohen and David Pakman from the left. The vast majority of top creators discussing politics are men. Donald Trump has done much to court podcasters and YouTubers, while restricting the traditional media's access to press briefings. This has fueled a lack of trust. "In countries where press freedom is under threat, alternative ecosystems also offer opportunities, at their best, to bring fresh perspectives and challenge repressive governments," the Reuters Institute said. "But at the same time these changes may be contributing to rising political polarization and a coarsening debate online."
New Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
#NST180years: Like Thomas More, we are a newspaper for all seasons
NOSTALGIA is balm for the soul, but not a spring for the legs. Too much of the former breeds inertia: it keeps history alive but the future moribund. Such is the truth in life and in commerce. And in the newspaper business, too. Print is in retreat. The stories of the industry's westering sun are repeated. But these are old headlines. The fact is, the printed newspaper is still in the game. The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2025 shows that across Asian countries, newspapers still command a significant audience, although smaller than in years past. In both Malaysia and Singapore, 18 per cent of survey respondents said they consumed news from the printed pages. It is 17 per cent in South Korea, 13 per cent in the Philippines and 11 per cent in Thailand. Social media is a more popular source of news, but the Reuters report also says "that in many cases the information served up by platforms comes from the news media", newspapers included. This proves that newspapers remain relevant. To remove them from the equation then would lead to the disenfranchisement of a significant number of people. The printed paper still has legs. It has much to give to young and old, and to democracy. This is not about being nostalgic, but practical. This truth the writer realises. Sir More, a man as complex as the NST, would probably have nodded in agreement.
Globe and Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
When facts are fuzzy, who are you going to call – Joe Rogan?
If you're reading this column online, you're among the majority of Canadians – 73 per cent – who get their news digitally, according to the 2025 Digital News Report published last month by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. What may surprise you is that these digital sources include not only websites and apps, but also podcasts, social media, video-sharing networks such as YouTube, and even AI chatbots. The report, now in its 14th year of tracking news media trends, offers more granular data on the habits of American audiences. More than half of those surveyed – 54 per cent – said they had looked to social and video networks as a source of news in the past week. And that same proportion of young adults said social and video networks are their main source of news. (The picture is somewhat different in this country, given that Meta has banned news links on its Canadian platforms since 2023. Forty-four per cent of respondents said they use social media as a source of news, down two percentage points since last year and down 11 percentage points since 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic.) Authors of the report were also struck by the attention Americans are paying to unconventional news sources – led, in some cases, by non-journalists, such as Joe Rogan, the podcaster who started as a stand-up comic, then worked as a sitcom actor and TV host. (Remember Fear Factor, the reality show that challenged contestants to wild stunts such as walking onto the wing of an airplane in flight?) Slightly more than one-fifth of respondents (22 per cent) said they saw Mr. Rogan commenting on or discussing the news in the previous week, while 10 per cent said the same of comedian John Oliver, who hosts the satirical current events show Last Week Tonight. For the first time in the report's history, researchers asked whether respondents use chatbots, such as ChatGPT, to get their news. At 7 per cent, the proportion that answered yes is 'probably higher than I expected,' Nic Newman, lead author of the report and a senior research associate at Oxford University, told me on a video call. And, he continued, 'twice as many young people say they're using chatbots to access news in different ways.' That uptake is remarkable given that AI's ability to offer real-time news is relatively new. So, what does this mean for news organizations? What does it mean for the public? Regarding the use of chatbots, Mr. Newman said, 'we can expect that to grow significantly in the next year or so, and that will be hugely disruptive to the news industry.' Already, audiences are losing the habit of visiting news websites or apps directly as their main source of news (topping out at 27 per cent of American respondents age 45 to 54, and reaching a low of 16 per cent of those age 25 to 34). But there are opportunities for legacy news organizations to highlight their strengths. Reuters Institute research has found that audiences 'want institutional media to do their job when they need it to be there,' Mr. Newman said. For example, when international survey respondents were asked where they would fact-check 'something important in the news online that they suspected might be false,' 38 per cent selected 'a news source I trust.' That's a larger proportion than the 35 per cent who selected 'official source (e.g. government website)' and significantly larger than the 14 per cent who selected 'social media or video network' – the domain of Mr. Rogan et al. AI might try to come for journalism – but here's why it won't succeed However, news organizations have come to understand that they need to do more than report news and human interest stories with journalistic rigour, Mr. Newman said. 'It's no longer enough just to produce something, because distribution is now important. If you can't produce something that somebody wants to read, then it won't find its way through the distribution algorithms or chains, and you'll never find an audience.' Rather than copy the influencers and content creators who offer news on social and video networks, he said, news organizations can adapt some of the storytelling techniques that audiences like and engage with, such as vertical video. They can have a presence on other platforms where non-conventional news sources are thriving, such as TikTok, to build their audiences and a sense of community. 'I think that journalism should be absolutely at the forefront of telling people what's new and uncovering things, and they need to work harder at making sure that people read it,' Mr. Newman said.
