20 Media Executives Offer Their Predictions for 2025

Puck co-founder Jon Kelly agrees.

“[There will be] much more AI promiscuity than anyone imagines,” Kelly said. “I think post-decline subprime brands are relying on AI in deep, currently unprecedented ways to create their content and stay afloat.”

Events become even more important…

Live events have been one of the industry’s bright spots since the pandemic, and that trend shows no signs of abating in the new year.

“I anticipate, at least in business-to-business marketing, we will see fewer ‘spots and dots,'” said Stinchcomb, “and more collaborative and personalized partnerships centered around events that suit premium audiences and communities that inevitably they drive bigger. back in the long run.”

Sara Badler, chief revenue officer at The Guardian US, echoed the sentiment.

“Sports and events will be bigger than ever in 2025,” Badler said. “People want industry events, travel, summit opportunities, and engaging dining, all reminiscent of the 2000s.”

… but they are due for a correction

Naturally, nothing good can last, and some publishers are preparing for the event market to adjust after years of growth.

“After a boom in live programming in recent years, we’re going to see Darwinism step in to reshape the industry,” said Jacquelyn Cameron, Chief Revenue Officer of Axios. “Only strong programming will survive, and others will begin to wane.”

The traffic referral landscape is becoming more fragmented…

The traffic sources that publishers once relied on, such as search and social media, continue to send fewer referral readers to publishers.

“We’re in an era of convenient selfishness,” said Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith. “If you’re a platform, you’re not obligated to send traffic.”

The WSJ’s Stinchcomb agrees.

“The referral/traffic ecosystem will continue to evolve, placing an even greater emphasis on the value of audiences coming to your platforms organically,” he said. “As new social platforms and chatbots emerge, audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented, presenting challenges and opportunities and reshaping how users discover and engage with content.”

… but publishers with direct connections will reap the benefits

The increased difficulty of acquiring readers will put publishers with loyal audiences in a stronger position.

“Publishers are going to discover how little raw scale is worth it,” said Semafor co-founder Ben Smith. “We will see more entrepreneurial, focused and intelligent news products aimed at a younger and more engaged audience.”

These direct relationships are also attractive to advertising partners, who value the insights that come as a byproduct of the connection.

“I also believe there will be a growing desire for brands to have a more direct relationship with their audience,” said Bloomberg Media CEO Karen Saltser.