Inside the Minds of News Industry Leaders
Insights from the Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership
Every year, as part of our Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership, we ask our incoming cohort a simple yet profound question: “What keeps you up at night about the news industry?” The media leaders’ candid responses reveal the intricate challenges facing news leaders today and reflect the drive that fuels their work. Below, we explore the themes that emerged from their insights, highlighting the topics that drive them to push for a stronger, more sustainable future for journalism.
Sustainability and Revenue Models
Sustainability is a recurring concern for many in the cohort. Gary Lavariere, Chief Revenue Officer at The Berkshire Eagle, grapples with the challenge of transitioning from print to digital, something many organizations are dealing with. He asks, “How does a traditional media company survive in the digital age, specifically the challenges of running a successful digital operation while still being tied to print production? How do we continue to train our audience that our content is worth paying for after giving it away for free online for decades?”
Ken Schneck, Editor at The Buckeye Flame, echoes these worries. He admits, “Sustainability … spirals me off into far too many directions,” whether it’s about ways to scale or maintaining financial stability. Paulo Celso Pereira, Executive Editor at O GLOBO, sees this moment as a crossroads, where journalism must figure out how to leverage new technologies to grow audiences and increase revenues. He shares, “Our main task is to figure out how to leverage this latest technological wave to produce quality journalism, grow our audience, and increase revenues.”
Franco Piccato, Executive Director at Chequeado, builds upon this, saying “designing an organizational vision that anticipates shifts in the media ecosystem” and “developing a news organization that aligns its mission with sustainable models” as key challenges that keep him up at night.
Preethi Nallu, Executive Director of Report for the World, is focused on training for news organizations. “Creating professional development and media innovation support systems that serve diverse newsrooms, and lead to accountability driven, sustainable journalism,” she says.
Impact of Technology
The rapid evolution of technology, particularly generative AI, is another pressing topic that keeps these news leaders up at night. Mariah Craddick, Executive Director of Product at The Atlantic, is focused on how AI shifts reader behavior and impacts business models. She questions, “How do we best equip our teams and therefore our organizations in the midst of this change?” Sophie Nicholson, Deputy Chief Editor, Digital Investigation at AFP, echoes this sentiment, worrying about “the politicization and pollution of our information environment,” which is exacerbated by AI’s ability to easily produce false information.
Similarly, Antti Karvanen, Head of Digital at A-lehdet Oy, expresses concern about the power tech giants hold, asking, “How do we maintain pluralism in the economy of giants?” as they dominate screen time and influence public discourse. Thomas Aagaard, Managing Editor at Zetland, shares his admittedly bleak picture of the industry, highlighting how trust in mainstream news is falling and news avoidance is rising, all while “generative AI is used to spread misinformation on social media.”
Audience Engagement and Trust
Maintaining audience trust and engagement is also top of mind. Danson Cheong, Assistant News Editor at The Straits Times, is particularly concerned with news avoidance, wondering, “How do we get readers, viewers, consumers to engage with the news that journalists spend so much time and effort to produce?”
Andrea McDaniels, Managing Editor at The Baltimore Banner, adds that attracting younger readers and people of color, who have historically distrusted the media, is crucial. She emphasizes the need for “innovative journalism” that not only engages but also reflects the diversity of society.
Gabe Boylan, Head of Audience at Rest of World, worries about the future of journalism distribution, stating, “The very real possibility that most of the major avenues for distribution and promotion of journalism will disappear or splinter… is the major development impacting everything I do in my work.” He is focused on preparing for this changing landscape and creating strong bonds with audiences that “supersede platforms and search.”
Leadership and Organizational Culture
Leadership plays a crucial role in tackling these challenges. Ross Maghielse, Deputy Managing Editor, Innovation & Development at The Philadelphia Inquirer, worries about the short-term decision-making driven by the pace of change, stating, “I’m most worried that pressures from the pace of change will continually cause short-term decision making that collectively puts lasting solutions further out of reach.” He also notes a leadership void between established and emerging industry leaders, which he sees as a gap that needs to be bridged.
Aldana Vales, Director of Audience Experiences at Gannett — USA TODAY Network, emphasizes the need for empathy in leadership, asking, “How do we infuse empathy into our work as leaders? How do we foster a culture of caring — for our colleagues, our readers, our communities, ourselves?” Simone Salden, Deputy Editor in Chief at manager magazin, questions how investigative journalists can channel their critical thinking and self-reflection into driving internal change, asking, “How can we use these skills internally to bring much-needed disruption and diversity to our own newsroom?”
In Conclusion…
These insights offer a window into the minds of today’s news leaders, who are deeply engaged with the existential questions facing journalism. But what’s clear from their responses is a deep commitment to navigating them with both resilience and creativity. As the news industry continues to evolve, it is the courage and vision of these leaders that will help shape a future where journalism remains a vital force for democracy and social good.
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