By: AI
The JILeaders FORUM: Innovation in Local News took place on 4 November. This summary was created by Laurens Vreekamp, an associate staff member who led the sprint design for the November Intensive Study Block 2025. To generate this piece, Laurens used a combination of NotebookLM, Claude.ai, and Google Gemini (following the instructions from Slide 28 onwards in this deck). These AI tools helped produce a clear and concise summary of the main themes and debates from what was a rich and insightful discussion. This article demonstrates how generative AI can be used – from recording to a publishable piece – to effectively capture key insights from the FORUM.

Innovation and the Future of Journalism: A Panel Narrative

A panel discussion at the JILeaders FORUM explored the dynamic and often tense landscape of innovation in local and independent journalism. The conversation highlighted a stark contrast between large, legacy media organisations and small, independent newsrooms, each facing unique challenges, particularly regarding the use of AI, reliance on big tech platforms, and the need for sustainable funding.

The Two-Speed World of Media Innovation

The panellists agreed that the capacity for innovation is fundamentally different based on an organisation’s size.

• Small, Independent Newsrooms (often teams of 2-10 people) were described as “very entrepreneurial, innovative, agile”. They can make rapid decisions—”This is a new plugin, let’s try this plugin” —and implement changes in as little as half an hour. For them, innovation is often a necessity driven by the core objectives: “How do I get news and information out to my audience in my community? How do I build trust? … and how do I pay my bills?”.
  
• Large, Legacy Organisations face the challenge of “turning around the oil tanker”. The primary difficulty is managing and coordinating innovation that happens “anywhere and everywhere” across the organisation, ensuring communication is in place so that people feel they have a say. The goal is to encourage experimentation on small and big scales to learn as much as possible.

The AI Dilemma: Efficiency vs. Soul

The discussion revealed a clear philosophical divide on the use of Artificial Intelligence in newsrooms, particularly regarding content creation.

• Philosophical Opposition: Many journalists, particularly those in smaller, mission-driven newsrooms, love the creative act of journalism. Panellist Emma offered a powerful analogy: “I want AI to do my laundry. I don’t want AI to do my painting, that’s what I love doing and the same with journalism I think.”. There is a fundamental tension in asking: “Why should I read something that you couldn’t be asked to write?”.
• Practical, Time-Saving Uses: For small teams severely limited by time and money, AI is an essential tool for efficiency, not replacement. Examples of good AI use include:
  • Automating reporting from secure data sources like weather or transport updates, which can be locally sponsored for revenue.
  • Solving technical problems, such as one member using AI to “write Python code and all the dots and the dashes” to reboot their website, effectively filling the role of an IT department.
  • Automating tasks like tagging or distributing content to “free ourselves from doing laundry and actually making something meaningful”.
• Trust and Transparency: The consensus was that innovation with generative AI must not undermine audience trust. When using AI, organisations must be completely transparent with their audience about how it’s being used.

The Platform Dependency Crisis

A significant driver of innovation is the urgent need to reduce reliance on large tech platforms.

• Existential Threat: Panelist Beth stated that “OpenAI particularly has shown this year is that it can wipe off entire revenue streams basically in a day”. This is particularly true for revenue streams built around e-commerce and product articles, as large language models can simply provide the answer directly, eliminating the need for a click.
• Strategic Response: The key to survival is “taking the power back from those companies and taking on your audience yourself”. This involves building loyal audiences, focusing on the value delivered, and using high-engagement channels like newsletters.

The Rise of the Creator Economy and Value-Based Media

A major theme for the future of journalism is the merging of journalism with the creator economy.

• Journalist Migration: There is an ongoing trend of journalists “breaking off from heritage titles to do their own thing, whether that’s on Substack or whether it’s video-based or social media-based or whatever”. These individuals are creating their own specialised publications and building an independent creative economy.
• Shared Value: Trust: The successful creators and journalists share a common, critical commodity: trust. Emma noted, “You get nowhere to do this if they don’t trust what you write; you get nowhere to a content creator if you don’t trust what you’re talking about.”.
• Value-Based Focus: Panelist Irina predicted that the future will be “more and more focused on the value that those media create”. The process must be: first, understanding and pinning down the added value for the audience and community, and only then developing the business models and tools to support it.

Future Predictions (12-18 Months)

The panelists concluded with a look ahead at what will dominate the local media landscape:

1. Creator Economy Expansion: More journalists will leave established titles to create their own independent platforms, building on successful blueprints.
2. Personalisation at Scale: Organisations will move toward an “audience first” approach, delivering personalised website experiences and tailored content packages rather than a general, one-size-fits-all approach.
3. The Funding Shift: There must be a change in how innovation is funded, moving away from grants focused on just a “new idea” toward models that support “sustainability and growth”. Survival in the new climate is itself innovative.
4. Taking Power Back: The core strategic goal will be to actively build direct, loyal audience relationships to reduce vulnerability to big platforms and their sudden revenue stream disruptions.

A big thanks to Ed Walker (Founder and Editor, Blog Preston) for chairing the session. The panel included Beth Ashton (Chief Growth Officer, Bright Sites), Iryna Vidanava (Business Viability Advisor, International Media Support), Joe Cawthorn (Content Strategist, Iconic Media), and Emma Meese (Director, Independent Community News Network) – each offering unique insights into product innovation, independent publishing, audience strategy, and business viability.

We are also very grateful to our supporting partners: Arc XP (Washington Post), Bright Sites, FT Strategies, Tickaroo, the Journalists’ Charity, Chrysalis Transformations and The Media Lab (Jordan).

Didn’t make it to the FORUM? You can watch the recording here.

We’re excited to share that the JILeaders FORUMs will return in 2026 – bringing fresh opportunities to connect, challenge ideas, and explore new possibilities for what journalism can achieve. Stay tuned for updates on next year’s themes and contributors.

For any enquiries, visit the Events page on the Media Innovation Studio website or reach out to us at JILeaders@lancashire.ac.uk.