Three years into generative AI’s introduction, adoption and integration, its impact on journalism and within the newsroom is widely felt. Most notably, its impact on audiences – particularly Gen Z, the generation raised on the internet and now coming of age.

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z has voting rights and buying power; no longer news media’s ‘future audience’ – this demographic plays a critical role in the very future of journalism. 

This was brought home in a presentation by AI researcher Sofia Giannuzzi, who illustrated how Gen Z’s early adoption of AI is “changing expectations at scale,” at WAN-IFRA’s recent Newsroom Summit in Copenhagen.

Giannuzzi, a technologist, Oxford scholar and digital native, presented findings from her research for Eidiosmedia into the impact of Gen AI on journalism.

“What I found, in short, was that AI is accelerating a change that was already underway. But it’s not necessarily the single cause of disruption,” she revealed.

‘The bigger story is the way that younger audiences are reshaping what it means to trust and use the news, and AI is both the tool and the stage under which this is happening.’

Newsrooms that want to matter to the next generation have to respond to both forces together, reckons Giannuzzi. 

“The question for journalists isn’t how to resist this shift, but how to meet it, and how to make sure that as AI becomes a part of the news experience, it amplifies human voices rather than erasing them.”

Effectively busting the myth that younger people don’t care about the news – “We care a lot. We just care in different ways” – Giannuzzi points to the rise of the influencer, along with the need for personalised content, and the importance of human connection.

“Both AI and influencers are succeeding because they mirror how people want to consume information, and because they’re meeting younger people in the format that they prefer.

“It’s also redefining expectations of what news should actually feel like. And this is obviously dangerous as, when audiences consume news through these means, the journalists and the newsroom behind the original reporting often disappear.”

“If newsrooms treat young people as an afterthought, they’ll keep losing them. But if they treat young people as design partners, they have a really, real chance to build stronger relationships and sustainable business models,” she asserts.

Giannuzzi identified four emerging trends – and offers solid recommendations for disrupted newsrooms.

Emerging trends

1 User needs not being met: “Newsrooms often produce content that doesn’t quite align with what their audiences want or need, and for better or for worse, AI is far better equipped to meet those needs –creating a kind of competition that journalism has never really had before.”

2 Skepticism towards AI labelled news content will diminish, particularly among younger audiences: “Through repeated exposure, people will over-trust AI, especially when it appears authoritative. So the responsibility falls back on the newsroom to ensure accuracy, even when their content is being adapted by AI.”

3 Continued rise of the individual brand: “News organisations that support and cultivate journalists as visible, distinct personalities will gain a lot of loyalty amongst younger audiences.”

4 Beyond the efficiency paradigm of AI in the news: “AI is now starting to be used more creatively – and this is where newsrooms will have the opportunity to deliver news in a different format, one that younger people gravitate towards.”

Five practical steps for newsrooms to adapt

• Embrace distinctive journalism

“Now that AI can generate infinite, technically correct but emotionally flat news stories, and  every outlet can use the same technology, the differentiation won’t come from speed; it will come from voice; textured, perspective-driven storytelling will carry value. That means showing curiosity in your journalism; showing how you arrived at a story, or even sharing uncertainty.

• Liquefy, personalise and localise

“Audiences want greater variety – a larger menu of options that AI can help expand by making content flow into the desired format. To address this, newsrooms can start treating every piece of journalism or reporting as an information core – facts, quotes or verified data – that can then be repurposed across formats. Localisation is a part of this too: AI can free up journalists to get back into communities and talk to people.

‘In short, liquefy the content but not the connection.’

• Make your content AI accessible – on your own terms

“Stay present in the chain of attribution and don’t disappear behind the algorithm; try to control the pipeline, and try to supply AI systems with accurate, verified information in a way that ensures that the work is properly attributed back to you.”

• Build around live experiences

“Let your journalism be visible. Scarcity creates value, and live events create scarcity – journalism can do much of the same. Your newsroom could host live podcasts, subscriber only briefings, newsroom and houses, or even Q&A’s with reporters.” An added benefit is the emotional authenticity of a real time exchange, adds Giannuzzi.

• Let your journalist be visible

“Young audiences follow individuals. They trust faces, and voices far more readily than institutions – and that’s not a threat to your brand: it’s just an opportunity to extend it.

“So. invest in your reporter’s personal brands, provide media training, help them build social presences, perhaps even offer compensation models for online followings, and consider partnering with external content creators.”

To conclude, Giannuzzi advises: “There’s an opportunity here to use technology not as a shield or as a shortcut, but as a way to amplify what makes journalism human. And if newsrooms can do that, if they can use AI to serve those goals rather than replace them, then this disruption, as daunting as it feels, will become just another chapter in journalism’s really long history.” 

Download Report: The Impact of AI on the newsroom: From Present Practice To Future Prospects