“There’s no way in God’s way that AI can replace this man next to me with three decades of journalism experience,” declared Chevaan Daniel, Group Director at Capital Maharaja Group Sri Lanka, pointing to Matt O’Sullivan, Managing Editor of Asia Pacific News at ABC Australia. “The nuances, the experience, the wisdom that this journalist comes with is not going to be replaced by a computer that essentially depends on data,” added Chevaan.

In an era of rapidly evolving media consumption habits, news executives from around the world gathered at the ABU’s 2024 Global News Forum to discuss the future of news and how to keep young audiences engaged. The panel, moderated by Indra Singh, Head of News & Sport at FBC Fiji, tackled the challenges of remaining relevant in a digital landscape dominated by social media and streaming platforms.

“News means freedom. I think that is the fundamental principle which we need to understand,” said Chevaan. “And so where our audience is, is where we should be. And I think it is time that we reframe the very idea of news.”

He pointed out the potential for the news industry to be as transformative as companies like Airbnb, Uber, and SpaceX. “They created markets that never existed before, and that’s the opportunity news has because it holds something crucial: the trust of the people,” he explained, highlighting the need for innovation in the industry.

“If you have the commodity of trust, and if politicians don’t have that trust anymore, then you have an obligation to use the platform and the power you have to move beyond simply reporting,” said Chevaan.

Understanding younger audiences

The discussion highlighted the need for news organizations to incorporate traditional “boots on the ground” reporting to connect with their audiences. Matt O’Sullivan, Managing Editor of Asia Pacific News at ABC Australia emphasized the importance of “old fashioned journalism” – getting reporters out of the newsroom and into communities to better understand the issues that matter most to people.

“We have a pretty good idea of what our traditional audiences want from us. What’s been the real challenge is understanding what younger audiences want,” he said. “And if you don’t go out and find that out and talk to people, you are never going to compete when there is so much content out there,” he added.

Matt discussed the challenge of connecting with younger audiences. “If we don’t give what the audience want, we are losing them,” he said.

“When you’re up against something like Netflix, Paramount or Amazon Prime, we can’t compete with them for entertainment but we can compete on compelling, human driven stories that make a difference to people’s lives,” said Matt.

“Content is so important”

Hojoon Lee, reporter at KBS South Korea shared insights on how his organization is adapting to changing audience preferences. “The problem is content, not platform,” he stated.

He shared an example from KBS, where a historical documentary gained significant traction among younger audiences by adapting to their preferences. “We need to keep up with the new way,” he concluded, highlighting the need for innovation in storytelling.

He explained that KBS has recruited younger staff and even hired a sound director with experience in the entertainment field to help make their content more engaging for younger viewers.

Suvita Charanwong, Co-Founder & CEO of Tellscore Co., Ltd. noted the potential for collaboration between young social media influencers and news companies and how they are shaping the news landscape.

“I work with a lot of young people, and within just five years, I’ve seen them set up small media companies. They start building their own news teams, learning about traditional journalism, and becoming highly digital in the process,” explained Suvita.

As the discussion concluded, the message was clear: the future of news lies in adapting to audience needs, embracing new technologies, and forging stronger connections with the communities news organizations serve.

From left to right: Hojoon Lee from KBS South Korea, Suvita Charanwong from Tellscore Thailand, Matt O’Sullivan from ABC Australia, Chevaan Daniel from Capital Maharaja Group Sri Lanka and Indra Singh from FBC Fiji.