The media industry is trying its best to adopt AI, with 80% of companies intending to invest in AI in the immediate term. But how do you implement an AI strategy for media companies effectively, avoiding risks and huge investments? Reportedly the biggest blocker to adopting AI is lack of strategy, with 57% calling it out according to a Financial Times publishers survey.  In this blog, we look at why AI strategy is such a sticking point, and how you can kickstart your strategy with Bridged Media’s simple 3-step process. (Plus, a tip on how to begin your AI journey…

Depending on how it’s adopted, AI could transform newsrooms—or hollow them out. After discussions with many executives in publishing in companies such as Axel Springer, FT, World Media Group, and many more, I explore the best and worst-case outcomes for publishers navigating the AI landscape, examining potential revenue models, organisational changes, and the broader implications for the industry. Best Case: Publishers Leverage AI for Enhanced Value and Experience Revenue Models: In the best-case scenario, publishers harness AI to create more engaging, personalised, and diverse content for their audience. AI-driven analytics can enable publishers to understand reader preferences more deeply, tailoring…

AI in the media industry is no longer a future trend—it’s a present reality shaping winners and losers across digital publishing. But how are media companies responding to this disruptive force? And with the transformative nature of this mediatech, which companies will sink and which will swim?  Some news websites are resisting AI’s encroachment on their traditional business models, like The New York Times which is famously suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. Others are embracing AI, such as German publisher Axel Springer which has partnered with the same AI company. But among the Generative AI noise, some powerful AI use…

Email subscriptions are the lifeblood of media companies – they enable direct communication with readers, build loyalty and attract vital revenue. So, why are many news websites still using outdated email collection tools? 

For media and digital publishing companies, there are two main ways to attract revenue: from advertisers and from readers. This time, we want to focus on reader revenue and how your media company can convert casual readers to paying customers. Many news websites find that the old strategies for driving reader revenue no longer work. Even that exemplar of digital-first news, guardian.com, recently reported a £3 million, or 4%, shortfall in digital reader revenue.  Today, the winners are those embracing new technologies—like propensity modelling—to capture reader revenue and gain the competitive advantage. The challenge of reader revenue strategies  When it…

You’re a digital publisher or media company and these questions keep bugging you. Are visitors spending enough time onsite? How can you get them to dwell longer? Are they finding content which feels relevant to them? Are they taking the right actions, both for them and for you?  The answer to these questions comes from analysing the customer experience journey – then personalising it. Content personalisation in publishing is no longer optional. Customising content within a reader’s journey makes them feel more connected with your brand, and most importantly it means they’ll not only give you their data, but also…

Media businesses know AI will save them time and money, but when it comes to implementing projects and technologies they stumble. They understand why – but not how. The trouble is this: we’re bombarded with noise about AI as a world-changing concept, and about the need to develop a long-term AI strategy. But there is work to be done today and we need to deliver for our day-to-day business. The answer to this tension is focusing on AI tools for media which give tangible results and happen to be powered by AI. It probably sounds counterintuitive for an AI expert…