Industry Insight: Shaping the Future of News in the Age of AI
Ahead of the upcoming MINDS conference, we caught up with Wolfgang Nedomansky, the Managing Director of MINDS International – a global network of leading news agencies – to discuss the challenges and transformations affecting the industry. From the continuous rise of artificial intelligence to increasing financial pressure on traditional media, journalism – and news agency journalism in particular – is experiencing a period of significant evolution.
Over the past year, what changes have had the biggest impact on how news agencies operate?
Artificial intelligence has had the most significant impact in recent years. While at MINDS we have been dealing with AI for more than a decade, it was previously focused more on automation. It sped up with the public release of tools like ChatGPT. AI now presents opportunities, threats and risks for the industry.
The second biggest impact is the situation of legacy media worldwide, which has put increasing pressure on news agencies. As core clients, traditional media organisations are facing ongoing financial challenges. Digital transformation has not fully compensated for the decline in traditional revenue streams. Copy sales doesn’t work properly in the digital world, and a large share of ad sales has been grabbed by big tech. As a result, costs are increasing more than revenues, making it difficult to sustain high-quality journalism.
Where do you see the most meaningful impact in newsrooms currently, and what potential threats or opportunities should news agencies be aware of?
AI is already improving efficiency in newsrooms by automating routine tasks, not by replacing journalists, but by eliminating standard work.
However, the same technology also lowers barriers to entry. Anybody can be a journalist without being trained as a journalist. One of the biggest problems are the AI-generated summaries in search engines, which are exploiting and monetising the content media produces. While platforms previously drove traffic to publishers, users are now often satisfied with summaries and no longer click through to original sources. This limits revenue opportunities and raises questions about fair compensation.
There is also a structural risk. Large language models depend on high-quality, trusted content, something that is only possible if media survives and can produce and provide them with content.
News agencies are at the top of the media ecosystem in every country, so they can provide trusted content for AI companies training their large language models. The key challenge will be securing long-term, sustainable agreements that ensure fair value in return.
What should news organisations prioritise to make AI useful rather than just experimental?
AI includes various aspects that we have to deal with. Protecting copyright is the most urgent priority. Without strong safeguards, news organisations risk losing control over how their content is used and monetised. This includes adapting contracts to protect copyrights, excluding AI training, as long as there is no separate contract.
AI can help to reorganise our workflows, to save costs, to make our work more efficient. Transparency is also essential: whenever AI is used in any content production, it should be clearly displayed.
At the same time, efficiency alone is not enough; growth must remain a central focus. AI can support the development of new products, services and revenue streams, and we can provide AI solutions to our clients.
Alongside technology, revenue and funding remains a major challenge. What role do partnerships now play in helping news agencies build sustainable business models?
Efficiency is one element, but collaboration between news agencies and also with third parties plays an important role in becoming more effective and efficient. At the end of the day, it helps save costs and improve overall performance.
The idea of collaboration is central to the role of a news agency. Most agencies serve as central providers of content or services for media in their country, and the value lies in offering these services at a shared cost.
At MINDS, the focus is on knowledge sharing and business enabling. Every individual attending our events has expertise on problems, solutions and technologies. If everybody is willing to share their knowledge, everyone wins.
This also creates future business opportunities. Agencies can collaborate on systems, develop solutions together or license existing tools. Partnerships can therefore lead both to cost-sharing and new commercial opportunities, making them a key part of sustainable business models.
How important are newsroom systems and workflows in helping news organisations adapt successfully?
They are fundamental. Editorial systems are the core production infrastructure of any news agency, where content is produced and distributed.
Standard editorial systems used by publishers often don’t meet the specific needs of news agencies, which operate in more complex environments. Systems must be highly flexible and capable of adapting quickly to new demands.
We are also going from content to data strategies. This makes structured data, metadata and system architecture increasingly important. Ultimately, the core production system is the most important system that every news agency needs and is the basis for good quality journalism.
What kind of conversations do you hope this year’s MINDS conference will spark across the industry?
A unique aspect of the conference is its diversity. Leaders from editorial, technological and commercial backgrounds come together, offering multiple perspectives on the same challenges. This creates a more comprehensive understanding of the industry’s direction.
MINDS provides a space for top-level decision-makers to exchange knowledge, explore collaboration opportunities and build trust. Each participant should go home with 5 to 10 tangible ideas for their business, which they can then put into action.
The ultimate goal is to generate discussions that lead to business outcomes and new partnerships.
Interested in how Superdesk can support flexible newsroom systems and modern content production in today’s changing media landscape? Book a demo with one of our experts to learn more.