The co-founder and CEO of Axios is warning journalists that they’ve entered a “a post-news era where what matters, and has value, is information, not ‘the news.’”
In order to survive, he wrote in an internal memo shared with Semafor, newsrooms will need to rethink the role they will play in an information landscape dominated by artificial intelligence and algorithmic, personalized video feeds.
“Your reality — how you see the world — is no longer defined by ‘the news.’” Jim VandeHei wrote. “Instead, it’s shaped by the videos you watch, podcasts you hear, the people you follow on social media and know in person, and the reporting you consume. We’ve entered a period where everyone has their own individual reality, usually based on age, profession, passions, politics and platform preferences.”
VandeHei laid out several solutions for Axios to cut through the thicket: Every piece of content must be useful to a smart professional, original reporting is crucial, and coverage should focus on one of the three major tectonic changes in tech, governing, and the media itself.
“What traditional news media companies can do is be useful, trusted, illuminating sources of vital information that’s vetted by experts held to high standards of accuracy and truthfulness. That calling is more important than ever,” he said.
Axios believes its largest area for growth is in local coverage, much of which has been left behind by national media. The digital media company has hired Liz Alesse, currently ABC’s vice president of audio, to be the company’s first general manager of Axios Local, which is expanding into new suburban areas in Colorado and Ohio, testing whether the company’s local news format can work in smaller communities. The company expanded from 30 cities and regions to 34 this year; the additional areas will bring Axios Local to 41 locales.