Legacy News Outlets: Adapting to Survive in the Digital Age

As Donald Trump prepares to assume the presidency for a second time, the news establishment finds itself on shaky ground. The digital attention economy, defined by innovations from Google and Facebook, has reshaped the media landscape, leaving legacy news outlets struggling to adapt. However, there are signs of hope, as exemplified by Norwegian media company Amedia's turnaround.

Amedia's transformation, still ongoing after seven years, offers valuable insights into the future of legacy news outlets. The company's corporate turnaround has been driven by data harvesting and AI, paving the way for a new AI-operational model and business model built on software. This approach has made survivability more likely for legacy newspapers, as proposed by six theses about design requirements and transformation.



To adapt to the digital attention economy, legacy news outlets must embrace several strategies:

1. Embrace AI and Data-Driven Decision Making: AI can help legacy news outlets understand their audience better, create personalized content, and automate content generation. By leveraging data, outlets can make informed decisions about content distribution and maximize engagement and revenue.
2. Diversify Revenue Streams: Legacy news outlets should explore new revenue streams, such as digital subscriptions, membership models, and e-commerce, to offset declining advertising revenue.
3. Adapt to New Platforms and Formats: Legacy news outlets must embrace new platforms and formats, such as social media, podcasts, and video, to reach a wider audience and engage with readers in new ways.
4. Combat Misinformation Actively: Legacy news outlets should actively combat misinformation by fact-checking, providing context, and collaborating with other news outlets and organizations. By maintaining credibility and trust, outlets can regain public confidence in their reporting.
5. Embrace a Humble and Useful Approach: Legacy news outlets must be humble and realize they are no longer the most important player in the information landscape. By focusing on being useful to readers and providing trustworthy, nonpartisan information, outlets can build trust and loyalty.

In conclusion, legacy news outlets face significant challenges in the digital age, but there is hope for survival. By embracing AI, diversifying revenue streams, adapting to new platforms, combating misinformation, and adopting a humble and useful approach, legacy news outlets can thrive in the digital attention economy. As the second Trump era begins, it is crucial for legacy news outlets to adapt and evolve to protect journalistic ideals and ensure profitability.