Episode description

Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has resulted in plummeting traffic to homepages. More than a third of people worldwide say they sometimes or often actively avoid the news, many citing their mental health and concerns that they can’t do anything about the problems reported. Meanwhile advancements in artificial intelligence promise rapid changes to the way journalism is done. So, what’s the future of journalism?

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School

Benjamin Toff, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Minnesota, a research associate at the Reuters Institute and co-author of the book: ‘Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism’

LaSharah S. Bunting, CEO and executive director of the Online News Association

Produced by Max Horberry and Paul Schuster

(Photo: Getty)