The report, authored by Senior Research Associate Nic Newman, notes that big tech platforms are under pressure due to the economic downturn and the migration of users to platforms such as TikTok. Platforms such as Meta appear to be turning their back on news, whilst emerging platforms appear more disinterested, particularly in hard news.

Newman goes on to observe that long-standing platforms such as Facebook are focused on how they can respond to the creativity unleashed by TikTok, with Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft likely to focus on growing their advertising businesses. This leaves publishers to concentrate on using new technologies to tailor content whilst still emphasising journalism’s human qualities and track record of delivering trusted information.

Despite the feeling that platforms may be turning away from news, 33% of publishers told Reuters that they expect to get significant revenue from tech platforms for content licensing (or innovation, a big increase year on year. This reflects the implementation or threat of legislation that aims to ensure publishers can negotiate fairly with large platforms.

Over half of the publishers surveyed stated that online safety legislation makes them concerned that it will become harder for journalists to publish stories that governments don’t like. It is also observed that privacy-related changes threaten to reduce ad revenue in the short term but are prompting publishers to start initiatives to collect their own (first-party) data that could be the basis for a more sustainable future.