Journalists predict the state of news and media for 2025 for the Nieman Journalism Lab.
The mainstream media will lose its last grip on relevancy
The gap between mainstream media readers, people who get most of their news through influencers or partisan social media, and people who barely think about news at all will create a fundamental schism in how Americans see the world.
Put AI at the beginning, not at the end
Generative AI isn’t a one-click solution; it enhances workflows when used strategically and guided by human input.
Young journalists will reimagine a better press
A new generation of journalists will redefine the press, focusing on truth, accountability, and strengthening democracy.
The year newsrooms tackle their structural issues
In 2025, newsrooms must align editorial, product, and tech teams to address silos and create seamless, reader-focused experiences.
Journalism education leads the change we seek
Journalism education in 2025 will tackle misinformation, embrace AI, foster global perspectives, and support diversity and local news.
Newsrooms reinvent their political journalism
Newsrooms must rethink political journalism in 2025, prioritizing data, relevance, and connecting stories to people’s lives.
The distinct human writer becomes more essential
Journalists will face two new issues: mobile-first storytelling and AI, reshaping content creation and the writing process.
Local collaboration follows contraction
As readers reengage with trusted news, local focus, collaboration, and quality reporting will shape journalism’s future.
Newsroom planning goes silo-free
For an industry rooted in communication, journalists working in newsrooms must improve how they communicate with each other. Is news in its current state reaching the right audiences? Some reports would lead us to say no.
Podcasting becomes the primary strategy
The Podglomerate recently brought together some of the brightest minds in audio — from the founder of Lemonada to the president of iHeartPodcasts — to reflect on podcasting in 2024. While observations ranged from the transformative rise of AI to the importance of robust attribution tracking and analytics, there was a clear takeaway from the group: the impact and influence of podcasting during the recent presidential election.
Your Audience team is now your Creator team
For someone who has built my entire career out of Audience-focused work in great newsrooms, it’s painful to bury my own. But here we are: The standalone Audience team/department/function, as we know it, is dead.
We’ll rethink scale, trust, and our life’s work
Journalism faces an existential crisis, and whether we can meet the moment collectively will be telling. Here are four areas I predict we will be hearing a lot about in 2025, all interconnected.
Influencers become journalists
Influencers are becoming journalists, blurring lines as social media reshapes how audiences consume news and information.
Watch your language
Journalists must choose words carefully, ensuring that their coverage informs accurately and respects the dignity of all people.
