As publishers grapple with external threats from AI search tools impacting traffic, AI is also facing internal hurdles in newsrooms, with skills shortages hampering adoption of the technology across newsrooms around the world, according to a new report from FT Strategies and the World News Publishers Association (WAN-IFRA). But publishers are also embracing video and creator-driven content opportunities to pursue more distinctive work that builds closer relationships with audiences.
inauguration ceremony Future newsroom research We surveyed 448 editorial or executive staff from 86 countries. They found that newsrooms face ongoing barriers to AI adoption, including skills gaps (61%), cultural resistance (52%), and unclear use cases (45%). Additionally, 39% of newsrooms expect their overall editorial output to increase over the next three years, while 43% agree that AI will reduce the number of people employed in the workplace.
Respondents therefore called for AI strategies to shift away from a focus on efficiency and toward applications that “enable journalism that was previously unattainable,” such as pursuing investigations that were not possible in the past or identifying new ways to interact with audiences.
“As the production of common content becomes easier in the AI era, newsroom advantages will shift toward those that are difficult to replicate, such as original reporting, trusted relationships, and closer-knit communities of viewers and journalists,” the report said.
Second pivot to video
The report notes that future-ready newsrooms are “focusing on creating formats that enable authentic connections,” with short-form video emerging as a top priority, “suggesting that a second great ‘video turn’ is now underway.” When asked which format they plan to focus more on next year, 79% of respondents said short video, followed by 72% detailed text.
However, this report provides a more in-depth analysis of the differences in formatting priorities between the three types of publishers. Legacy newsrooms are investing more in short-form video to catch up with competitors, but they’re still focusing less on long-form video and conversational podcast formats. Meanwhile, “dot-com newsrooms” are investing less in short-form video and more in podcasts, and “digital-native newsrooms” are focusing on long-form video.
And as short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram gain traction for news audiences, most publishers are considering approaches to collaborating with creators, with just 24 percent of newsrooms saying this is not a priority at the moment.
Of the companies investing in this space, 41% are building in-house creator capabilities, and publishers are looking to make their existing staff more “creative-like” in their work. But the study suggests that “creative shifts are outpacing newsroom support systems,” as 68% of newsrooms have yet to develop a formal on-camera training program.
In a different approach, 34% of newsrooms collaborate with external creators in a variety of capacities. These external creator strategies can take many forms, including project-based collaborations (such as NBC’s partnership with content creator Cleo Abram for the Olympics coverage) and hiring creators as full-time staff (such as Italian publisher Ciao People’s acquisition of social-first science channel GeoPop in 2021).
Looking beyond risk management
However, the report suggests that publishers’ priority may be to limit the scope of collaboration with these external creators. The survey found that 37% of newsrooms that collaborate with external creators cite brand alignment as a key criterion in deciding who to work with. “This suggests that newsrooms may be approaching creators through a risk management lens, choosing to constrain themselves to existing norms rather than embracing a growth and experimental mindset,” the report said.
According to the survey, several newsroom leaders argued that a more important factor is identifying creators based on their ability to unlock niche expertise, reach underserved audiences, and lead conversations with communities that are difficult for newsrooms to access on their own.
Keith Lynch, editor-in-chief of New Zealand-based media company Stuff Digital, says the “secret to success” in partnering with creators is “finding a niche where you can create something that no one else is making.”
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