Publishers: Don’t Repeat The Same Story, Become Leaders of Technology – Forbes

Technology and publishing’s fractured relationship needs to change.
Publishing and technology have always shared an entangled history: each wave of innovation has transformed how stories are told, distributed and consumed.
At first, the invention of the printing press was met with enthusiasm by the masses, liberating information from religious authorities and giving rise to an institution dedicated to storytelling.
Magazine brands emerged with clear purposes — serving specific human interests, from cultural critiques to lifestyle tips. When radio and television came along, these new channels further reshaped communication, offering faster, more visual mediums for news and entertainment alike.
Yet, along the way, technology has knocked the news industry off balance. The initial rise of the internet was met with reluctance from many publishers. Classified ads — once a newspaper’s golden goose — shifted almost overnight to platforms like Craigslist, eBay and digital marketplaces, chipping away at traditional revenue.
It wasn’t until the 2008 economic downturn that traditional media felt a push off the cliff. As offline revenues plummeted, a new generation of digital-first publishers — BuzzFeed, HuffPost and VICE — exploited social media’s viral potential and search engines’ algorithms to grow at breakneck speed.
But what worked for those digital darlings also revealed deeper vulnerabilities. Building an audience primarily via social networks and search meant ceding control of distribution and relationships. If Facebook or Google changed an algorithm, traffic plummeted. BuzzFeed, an emblem of viral growth, famously struggled when the platforms that once nurtured its reach shifted priorities. Meanwhile, legacy publishers, eager to replicate this success, chased short-term clicks instead of cultivating long-term trust and loyalty, poisoning their brands in the process.
Brands Are Coming Back Because They Have To
The dust is settling — somewhat. Survivors of this publishing disruption are rediscovering the importance of brand values, a direct relationship with audiences and the renewed promise of strategically used technology.
Brand-driven news companies are re-anchoring themselves in purposeful missions, realizing that relentlessly servicing audience interests and niches translates into loyalty. After years of letting social networks dictate audience interactions, publishers are building their distribution channels, harnessing first-party data membership models and subscription revenue streams.
Simultaneously, “Media 3.0” has emerged, acknowledging that old models are no longer viable and embracing new forms of storytelling — interactive forums, immersive experiences and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, in-person events have returned with a flourish.
Audiences, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha, have responded favorably to these shifts because they expect intimacy, community and influence in their daily lives. They want content that feels like a genuine experience.
Artificial intelligence, once seen as a threat (and let’s be honest, it still can be), is now deployed to manage routine content or produce quick updates. This gives journalists more time for in-depth reporting and human-powered curation, which ultimately results in a more personalized reading experience.
Goodbye Pageviews, Hello Share of Conversation
Looking at the road ahead, media leadership must shift newsroom roles toward community-building and interactive storytelling. New success metrics, e.g., time spent, direct engagement, and share of conversation or influence, take precedence over vanity metrics like pageviews.
Likewise, brand equity is fueled by integrity, editorial oversight and meaningful two-way engagement with readers. Reclaiming the brand has become as important as any business strategy: If publishers don’t stand for something — if they aren’t trusted voices in a sea of content — they lose the power to attract audiences and revenue.
Ultimately, the future of news hinges on moving from being writers to story generators, curators and human connectors. AI offers scalability and efficiency, but it’s on the human talent to be inventive and engaging. That will ultimately differentiate professional media from user-generated noise.
Publishers that navigate this balance will not only weather current disruptions but forge stronger bonds with audiences and pave a path toward lasting relevance.
Four Considerations for the Future of Publishers
1. Embrace Innovative Storytelling
2. Automate Content Creation (Gen AI)
Build ephemeral content tools (think generative UX/design, chatbots, auto summaries, etc.) to allow readers to engage in personal ways. Once upon a time, media companies didn’t have websites, but they all realized they had to come online. These tools will become table stakes and a brand’s identity won’t be stuck in a style guide but instead engineered into the experiences.
3. Turn Clicks Into Ecosystems (Private LLMs)
4. Redefine Newsroom Roles (The New Role of Humans With Tech Augmentation)
The journey toward a sustainable future for publishers involves reinvigorating purpose, regaining control over distribution and data and judiciously integrating AI to amplify human ingenuity. By doing so, publishers can build genuine ecosystems of trust and deliver the kind of storytelling experience that resonates with modern audiences, ensuring the industry’s place as a vital cornerstone of informed societies.
If you are waiting for an out-of-the-box solution, you’ve already become a commodity.

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