Newsrooms around the world should not just invest in technology but also in people to meet the challenges posed by disruptive technology and sift through the vast resources of raw information, a media expert has said.

Speaking at the 14th World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (Wan-Ifra) Middle East Conference in Dubai on Thursday, Dr Alexandra Borchardt, director of leadership programmes at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, said there is "always the hype about technology and 'content is king' but if you neglect your people, then there is no great content".

"Beware of the 'technology-will-fix-it' trap," she emphasised during her talk titled 'It's about People and Tech'. Quoting Ritu Kapur, CEO of The Quint in India, Borchardt said: "We need a mix of both AI (artificial) and human intelligence.

Technology will drive newsroom innovation but the best data doesn't help if there is no talent. To attract and retain talent, think about your incentive structure."

According Borchardt, the strongest incentive for a journalist is to know the purpose of the profession.

"Some people risk their lives in reporting but they feel the purpose. Tell them (journalists) the message that we have a role in society and we have to defend democracy, our values and rights," she noted.

Borchardt also shared the trends, predictions and what newsrooms will need in the coming years. She noted that quality editors still matter more than machines.

Citing a recent survey conducted by the Reuters Institute involving editors, publishers, head of digital teams from 29 countries, Borchardt noted that 51 per cent of the respondents strongly agreed that there is a "need to invest more in editors and journalists to help meet future challenges".

Only five per cent of the respondents disagreed with the proposition while 10 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed and 34 per cent tended to agree.

On the question that there is a need to invest in AI (artificial intelligence) or machine learning technology, only 27 per cent strongly agreed while 7 percent totally disagreed; 51 per cent tended to agree and 15 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed.

Attracting and retaining talent will be the next big challenge for journalism, she added. Borchardt underlined that senior editors and media managers should be good communicators not just with the public but also to their staff.

 

 

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