AHEAD OF THE CURVE Continuing evolution in media tech means newsrooms can employ ever more innovative strategies for engaging their audiences
» Unesco and groups like Internews stress the need for media literacy, strengthened verification technology and a revitalisation of local reporting to rebuild trust « recently emerged as an unlikely but dominant news platform for younger generations. In one survey within the report, 57% of TikTok users said that they follow individual influencers for news coverage, while only 34% said that they follow journalists or established news brands. The hollowing-out of local journalism has deepened the problem. A study by Northwestern University found that the US has lost a quarter of its local newspapers since 2005. In that vacuum, social media platforms are stepping in, with their algorithms powerfully optimised for engagement rather than accuracy. As the UNC Centre for Information, Technology and Public Life warns, these algorithms amplify ‘echo chambers’, privileging content that sparks outrage (colloquially known as ‘rage-baiting’) over content that is grounded in facts. Artificial intelligence, as usual, serves to further complicate matters. Deepfakes and synthetic audio are advancing so rapidly that traditional verification methods simply can’t keep up. The Brookings Institution cautions that AI-driven disinformation doesn’t just fool individuals; it corrodes the very trust that journalism depends on.
If audiences begin to doubt the authenticity of every single video or quote, the authority of newsrooms themselves also collapses. Unesco and groups like Internews stress the urgent need for media literacy, strengthened verification technology and a revitalisation of local reporting to rebuild trust at the community level. But it’s certainly clear from the data that disinformation isn’t a problem that can be fact-checked away, and journalists are being asked to fight this shifting terrain with limited resources to help. The sustainability mandate While disinformation is (knowingly or not!) dominating headlines, another quieter crisis is unfolding behind newsroom walls: sustainability. Behind every breaking news alert is a gargantuan digital beast; chomping its way through platters of energy-pumping data at a staggering scale. High-speed file transfers, cloud-based editing and AI-driven workflows are just some examples of the tech innovations that enable newsrooms to feed content- hungry audiences – but with a hefty carbon price tag. Jardine explains how technology can actively alleviate this.
“We balance performance and speed with sustainability by integrating GreenOps and FinOps practices. Our approach includes detailed assessments of resource utilisation and energy consumption, which enables informed decisions that optimise both cost and environmental impact.” That balancing act has become a defining challenge for not just news, but the wider broadcast tech community too. Jardine’s team uses advanced analytics and automation to not only make workflows faster, but also cut waste. The team employs advanced analytics and automation to help them reduce energy use, eliminate waste and minimise unnecessary data duplication. “Additionally, we implement sustainable data management strategies such as archiving, intelligent storage tiering and deduplication to maintain data accessibility while still being able to reduce storage needs and energy consumption.” Dot Group distinguishes itself by integrating real-time carbon monitoring, “with high-speed, scalable data transfers tailored for broadcasters. Our Green Dot platform provides live insights into energy usage across IT infrastructure,
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