Media Innovation and the Future of Media Institutions: Dylan Clarke Final Blog Post

As I was unfortunately unable to attend the field trip which discussed media innovation, I discussed and agreed with my lecturer to instead research how the future of media is being shaped by new technological developments and societal shifts. 

Media is something that is constantly changing within the digital age we live in. Constant technical advancements and developments are directly affecting media technologies and the way in which we consume content. It is well known that technological inventions progress and advance not only media forward but also society. Take for example the invention of printing, this not only set the framework for the future of media but introduced the possibility of mass communication. This led to pivotal societal, educational and communicative advancements that shaped the modern world (Fang, 1997). The most recent technological shift has been in Generative AI which threatens the existence of many industries including media, due to its ability to create more ways in which people can access and distribute information (Newman, 2026). AI, alongside Podcasting, social media and changing audience behaviours, is reshaping not only the way media is produced but also engaged with. Rather than completely replacing traditional media, these innovations are forcing media organisations to rethink and adapt to the times whilst retaining the trust and editorial integrity. 

One of the largest growing challenges facing the media industry is attracting younger audiences. The “Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025” found that audiences including and under the ages of 35 increasingly consume news through social media platforms, namely TikTok, Instagram and YouTube (Ross Arguedas et al., 2025). This is demonstrating a massive shift in media habits and points to where the focus should be to attract younger consumers. However, this does not mean that younger audiences don’t find the traditional news channels engaging, instead it shows the shift in medium through which younger generations interact with news. This is where traditional media institutions need to invest and grow their social media presence to keep the younger audiences engaged with impartial and professional journalism. Investment in media production on said platforms is important to educate the youth, ensuring they avoid falling into the echo chambers of influencers and independent social media reporters. 

It is unfair to address artificial intelligence in solely a negative manner, as it is also one of the most significant technological innovations that can assist in the journalistic process. Rather than replacing them, AI is increasingly being used for transcription, translation, metadata tagging and article summarisation for research purposes (EBU, 2025). However, research conducted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) argues that although AI can improve efficacy of tasks, human editorial oversights remain one of the key operations to maintain accuracy, impartially and public trust (EBU,2025). Without these three qualities present in journalism the integrity of institutions fails. However, AI is better in the hands of industry professionals in which the content can be monitored and regulated by trusted people. This is why traditional institutions remain so important, as in today’s age, where information can be found anywhere by anyone, the reputable professionals matter most. 

Alongside AI, podcasting has also become one of the fastest growing areas of media innovation. This is a shock to the industry as podcasts tend to follow a format similar to radio broadcasts which was forecasted to see a decline as the younger audiences move into the picture. However, this tells us that once again it is not the type of media that is changing it is the way in which it is consumed. Younger audiences value the accessibility of podcasts and the on-demand nature of streaming from their preferred platforms. Recent ‘Reuters Institute’ research also highlights that a high percentage of successful podcasts are also paired with visuals that can be posted on multiple platforms to maximise streams and views across a multi-media landscape (Dang, 2024). This coverage reflects a wider conversation of where the future of audio media lies through the study of younger audiences’ habits. 

Public service broadcasters across Europe including RTÉ and the BBC are increasingly viewing podcasting as an essential product of their media strategies. Audio is still relatively cheap to produce and can still engage people with personalities of presenters; there is a lot of investment in the production of podcasts from these outlets. This is a strong argument that battles the takeover of AI as people still value the human-to-human connection as heard in podcasts. 

Despite these opportunities the media faces concerns surrounding misinformation and declining public trust. This mainly stems from nations that allow private media institutions to exist that have anterior political agendas shaping their reporting. Alongside this, AI deepfakes and automated content increase the risk of spreading misinformation from another perspective. Algorithms often reward engagement rather than journalistic quality which allows influencers and other independent reports to compete with larger news corporations on these digital social media platforms. However, while young audiences are increasingly using AI tools and creators to access the media, trusted public service broadcasters and already reputable news organisations remain the most common sources people turn to when looking for the validity of information online (EBU,2025). So, although these challenges are present, if our media institutions stay up to date and employ an innovative mindset they should remain an important landmark of the media market. 

Therefore, it is unlikely that the future of media will be replaced or changed by AI. The industry’s future will instead depend on how well these institutions adapt to the changing environments. It is important that they adapt and combine these technological innovations with trusted and already established journalistic properties. The organisations that manage to successfully integrate AI systems into their workflows in the newsroom and can embrace the multimedia audio formats that attract younger audiences across multiple platforms, will be in the best position to remain relevant in and entertaining in the increasingly changing digital age. 

As this is my final blog report I would like to reflect and mention how inspirational this class has been for me and how it has opened my eyes to the media industry in Munich. In researching the future of media, I have become very interested in this topic and I believe I may have found the theme for my dissertation when I return to Ireland next semester. Overall, this has been a very educational, interesting and fun seminar that has shaped my studies going back to UCD. 

References

Fang, I. (1997). A history of mass communication: Six information revolutions. Routledge.

Newman, N. (2026). Journalism and technology trends and predictions 2026.

Newman, N., Ross Arguedas, A., Robertson, C. T., Nielsen, R. K., & Fletcher, R. (2025). Digital news report 2025. Reuters Institute for the study of Journalism.

Union, B. (2025, April 23). News Report 2025: Leading Newsrooms in the Age of Generative AI. Www.Ebu.Ch. https://www.ebu.ch/guides/open/report/news-report-2025-leading-newsrooms-in-the-age-of-generative-ai

Dang, S. (2024, June 16). Global audiences suspicious of AI-powered newsrooms, report finds. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/global-audiences-suspicious-ai-powered-newsrooms-report-finds-2024-06-16/