Insights from important journalism figures on the state of news in 2025, as shared by the Nieman Journalism Lab.
This article was originally published by Nieman Journalism Lab and is hereby reproduced by iMEdD with permission. Any reprint permissions are subject to the original publisher. Read the original article here.
When readers encounter clunky apps, disjointed digital experiences, or headlines optimized for clicks rather than clarity, they’re experiencing something deeper than bad design. These flaws reveal the structural cracks within modern newsrooms — the tension between their form and their function.
Having tried almost everything else, I think 2025 is when publishers start to address their structural issues.
Frank Lloyd Wright once said: “Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” For newsrooms, this can’t continue to be an aspiration — it needs to become a reality. In 2025, editorial teams can no longer operate in silos while product, engineering, UX, and insight teams work in parallel but disconnected spaces. To thrive, publishers need a seamless union between these roles, where expertise, priorities, and goals don’t just coexist but actively enhance one another.
For too long, newsrooms have been structured for an era that no longer exists, and their products reflect this mismatch. The solution isn’t simply better tools or larger budgets. It’s about reimagining the newsroom as a cohesive, adaptive system. The result won’t just be happier staff and smoother workflows — it will mean a radically improved experience for readers and a more sustainable future for journalism.
Look under the hood of most news organizations, and you’ll find a tangle of competing priorities and overlapping responsibilities. Editorial teams focus on the craft of storytelling, while product teams treat journalism as a user experience challenge. Engineers wrestle with aging tech stacks as insight teams battle fragmented data. Each group may excel in isolation, but collectively, the result is often disjointed — and readers notice.
The problem lies in structure. Many publishers remain anchored to hierarchies born in the print era, with editorial at the center and product and technology bolted on as afterthoughts. This legacy design fosters inefficiency, slows innovation, and breeds internal competition where there should be collaboration.
What would a more functional newsroom look like? Well you will have heard this all before — but I think we’re finally ready to get more serious about it:
- Shared goals: Editorial, product, and engineering teams align around common metrics — reader retention, subscriber satisfaction — rather than competing for ownership of the audience.
- Integrated teams: Cross-functional pods of editors, designers, developers, and analysts work together on projects like newsletters and news apps, blending perspectives from the start.
- Redefined roles: Editors become product stewards, shaping the tools and platforms that deliver their stories. Product managers immerse themselves in journalism’s values, ensuring user-focused solutions align with editorial integrity.
We need to get comfortable that the future doesn’t look like the past. Profound transformation is needed so that readers encounter products that feel seamless, engaging, and intuitive. In an era of declining trust and intensifying competition for attention, these changes aren’t just helpful — they’re existential. The publishers that thrive in the years ahead will be those that invest in structural alignment, not just new technology or flashy tools.
Of course, this kind of transformation comes with challenges. Breaking down silos means rethinking hierarchies, revising workflows, and navigating cultural resistance. But the payoff is undeniable: smoother processes, faster innovation, and products that genuinely serve readers.
It will take bold leadership, uncomfortable conversations, and a willingness to let go of legacy thinking. But the reward is worth it: a future where journalism moves out of defense mode and starts proactively building and shaping what happens next.
Nick Petrie is the digital director at The i Paper.
Find a selection of Nieman Journalism Lab’s predictions for journalism in 2025 here.
