That was the message from CEO Sajeeda Merali in her opening address on the Together stage at the PPA Festival on April 25. As the day unfolded, we heard about more of the common opportunities and challenges that companies across the spectrum of specialist media are collectively grappling with in 2023.

From generative AI to inter-generational friction, here we provide a summary of some of those key themes.

Leadership

Publishing is no stranger to disruption, said Lucy Kueng of the Reuters Institute, but PPA members have key strengths in their brands, their relationships with customers, and the calibre of their people. Success, however, is predicated not on strategy but on delivery, she pointed out, and that means having leadership throughout the organisation that can deliver on collective goals, with a top team capable of managing everything from data and AI to new commercial relationships and company culture. “There is huge growth happening in digital markets and we need to really lean into that. The trick is getting the leadership right” said Kueng.

Audiences

Having heard from Lucy Kueng that publishers needed to shift their mindset from being content-centric to audience-centric, this point was underlined in the findings of new PPA insight shared by Peter Medwid and John Wilpers from Katahdin Media. They highlighted how the consumer now plays an elevated role in the revenue mix, as seen through the growth of membership models and the value of consumer data and first-party relationships. PPA members are positive about the future, they said, but deeper relationships with audiences are required to continue to compete for one of the most precious prizes of all: their time.

Inclusion and representation

Also explored within the new PPA insight was the issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). It found that while 44% of respondents were engaged on this issue, others are still on the journey. Collaboration, clear roadmaps, and accountability were all identified as important markers for internal progress – and the festival audience was also reminded of its responsibilities when it comes to content creation and external influence. Heartstopper actor Bel Priestly, footballer Zander Murray, and rapper Keanan all told Lewis Corner of Gay Times how positive role models and narratives in the media can help counter negativity and misunderstanding in relation to the LGBTQ+ community. There might still be some way to go, agreed the panel, but publishers have the power to help spearhead change.

Togetherness

The Silent Generation. Baby Boomers. Generation X. Millennials. Gen Z. With a plethora of generational labels, there is also plenty of potential for inter-generational tensions to exist in today’s workforce, said Stylus CEO Victoria Rennie. In managing organisational change, however, the CEO panel agreed that it’s important not to look at stereotypes but to treat people as individuals and to focus on meaningful collaboration. Training and mutual mentoring, for example, can help in the creation of effective modern hybrid workplaces. As Richie Booker, Head of Diversity & Belonging at Hearst UK said, each generation is experiencing fear of some sort, so breakdown the barriers through better communication and understanding.

Talent

While steering clear of stereotypes, there are common drivers for motivation and engagement among younger employees, according to the Gen Z panel. Beyond financial rewards, that includes the importance of upholding personal values, achieving sustained development and progression, receiving constructive feedback, being given agency to solve challenges, feeling valued, and belonging to a community. As Lucy Kueng stated earlier in the day, businesses might tend to focus on the machinery but “people don’t join companies, they join people.”

AI

Generative AI was a key theme of the day. And with questions over transparency bias, underrepresentation of voices, and potential lack of oversight. Sajeeda Merali outlined the PPA’s role in representing members’ interests, ensuring “the right balance is struck and protection is in place for content creators”. Chris Duncan, CEO UK Publishing at Bauer Media, described AI as “a massive opportunity that comes with guardrails” – counting among the pros the ability to automate repetitive tasks and to differentiate publishers through our content quality. Those with lingering concerns about how it will all play out were offered the following solace from Katahdin Media’s Peter Medwid: “don’t lose sleep, it’s either going to save the world or destroy it.”

A positive future

According to PPA insight, the majority of publishers have a plan when it comes to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters, investing in internal change and championing progress via their products and platforms. Looking to the future, Jo Murphy of Stylus highlighted how awareness of these issues will continue to be prioritised by the consumer of 2040 in a world where the rise of AI, the metaverse, and other digital technologies will mean extended reality (XR) fuses into our IRL experiences. This balance between humanity and technology was also explored by broadcaster Clare Balding and Sue Fennessy of WeAre8, a pioneering social platform that cocoons audiences in a positive experience while creating value for advertisers and content creators.

Consistent with many of the other sessions on the Together stage, this final session carried an underlying message of what can be achieved by empowering individuals. Whether facing up to the challenges of technology, transformation, or talent retention, putting people at the heart of things can drive positive progress. Indeed, as John Wilpers of Katahdin Media said when discussing human capital: “everything we’ll talk about today comes down to this”.

PPA Chair Nina Wright of Harmsworth Media agreed, pointing to the sector’s “insanely dynamic” talent as laying the foundation for the Festival’s overarching themes of confidence, optimism and opportunity. “This sector is FOR people and driven BY people,” she said, “and it’s days like today that should serve to remind us of the incredible potential of media to inform, inspire, and transform our society.”

Together stage sponsored by Air Business. Words by Tom Hawkins.