A spate of licensing deals with artificial intelligence companies shows that the media is once again in the midst of a rapid transformation. Where traditional print media once acted as the gatekeepers of information, savvy social media users now dominate many conversations.
Most media is digital, not print. Advertising operates on a completely different business model. It can all be dizzying, and those who have kept up with the innovations of the last 25 years would do well not to rest too much on their laurels. The rise of AI, crypto, and other new trends is already forcing media to evolve into something new again.
I worked as a journalist for twenty years, eventually becoming Reuters’ general manager for the Americas. From there, I managed operations for hundreds of journalists across the Western Hemisphere. I saw firsthand how the rise of the internet, social media and smartphones rewired global media ecosystems.
The reality is that media has not been destroyed, it has been transformed, and this transformation process is ongoing. For startup founders, this moment presents real opportunities to stand out by smartly leveraging the recent wave of media disruption.
Embrace the niche
Media has evolved from a landscape of broad, general media to a constellation of niche platforms, each serving a hyper-targeted audience. This has reduced the impact of any given story – unless it is on the front page of The New York Times or The Wall Street Journaldon’t expect most people to see what you’re up to. But it has also curated a set of self-selected audiences looking for a specific type of content. This means that a startup founder can target exactly the people they need to educate about their product without wasting their efforts on millions of uninterested readers.
If your target audience is AI developers in Latin America, you can find media and communities that cater to them. The same goes for decentralized finance enthusiasts, Fortune 500 accountants, grocery stores—every industry has its own media niche. These can take the form of subscription providers, social media channels, or even messaging apps. If you can identify that niche, you can spread your message much more effectively than in the past.
Use AI. Don’t let it exploit you
AI has been all the rage since ChatGPT came on the scene less than two years ago, and in my experience, many founders have relied too heavily on the new conventional wisdom that AI is going to transform everything and we all need to get on board or we’ll be left behind.
Tools like ChatGPT are extremely useful for mundane but important tasks that might otherwise be handled by junior staff. I’m talking about things like taking and summarizing meeting notes, reviewing data, and searching the internet for information. But it’s still no substitute for original thought and shouldn’t be used as a primary writing tool.
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This is actually more important today than it was a year ago, as audiences have developed a reflex to spot content that looks like it was written by a bot. Over-reliance on AI tools can even damage your reputation as a thought leader, right when you should be trying to build your public standing.
There is still no replacement for earned media
Many of the groups I have worked with have invested in paid or “sponsored” content. The value proposition is not difficult to understand: a clear one-for-one transaction, a fee in exchange for visibility in a publication. This may be preferable to the uncertainty inherent in authentic “earned” media coverage.
But people are smart and can tell when something is pay-to-play. Conversely, audiences respect companies that receive positive coverage from third parties without them being “involved” themselves. There are few better signals of quality and momentum than real, organic media coverage. This is just as true in 2024 as it was in 1924.
Local news lives on
Much has been written about the death of local news over the past 25 years. And it is true that, with the exception of those nationally branded media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post or the Los Angeles TimesLocal newspapers are now just a shadow of their former selves.
But the truth is that local news, like national and global media, has not been wiped out so much as transformed. It’s perhaps no surprise that San Francisco, the epicenter of the AI boom, is also at the forefront of new forms of local news that may well be a harbinger of things to come for many regions.
Why should an ambitious entrepreneur care if there is a vibrant local media market in, say, Kansas City? Because there are businesses, investors and customers in local communities. Bringing attention to something happening in people’s neighborhoods can generate a level of human interest and connection that is difficult to achieve with national or global media.
The message is important
My final point is perhaps the most important and timeless. Tactics, campaigns, brilliant teams of marketing executives – all of these things can fail if substance is lacking. Ultimately, the message is what matters.
This is why my career in PR has been and continues to be so rewarding. Yes, I can use the experience and expertise I’ve built over the years to help founders tell their stories to the world. But the point is that the stories need to be told.
If your message is illogical, stale, or at odds with most people’s lives, no amount of media savvy will help you succeed. But if you’re building something that brings new possibilities into people’s lives, that message can and should get through, no matter how much the media changes.
Saul Hudson is managing partner at Angle42, a strategic communications agency for fast-growing startups in Web3, AI and other emerging technology industries.
