A spate of content licensing agreements with artificial intelligence companies shows the media are in the midst of rapid disruption—again. Where once legacy print media stood as gatekeepers of information, now savvy users of social media dominate many conversations.
Most media are digital, not print. Advertising operates under a completely different business model. It can all be dizzying, and for those who have kept pace with the innovations of the past 25 years, well done, but don't get too comfortable. The rise of AI, crypto and other new trends is already pushing the media to become something new yet again.
I spent 20 years as a journalist, eventually becoming Reuters' general manager for the Americas, running operations for hundreds of journalists across the Western Hemisphere. I saw firsthand the way the rise of the internet, social media and smartphones rewired global media ecosystems.
Here's the reality: Media haven't been destroyed; they have been transformed, and this process of transformation is ongoing. For startup founders, this moment offers real opportunities to set yourself apart by making smart use of the latest round of media disruption.
Embrace the Niche
Media have evolved from a landscape of broadly focused, general interest outlets to a constellation of niche platforms, each serving a hyper-targeted audience. This has narrowed the impact of any given story—unless you're on the front page of The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, don'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 a startup founder can target exactly the people she needs to know about her product without wasting effort on millions of uninterested readers.
If your target audience is AI developers in Latin America, you can find media outlets and communities catering to them. The same goes for decentralized finance enthusiasts, Fortune 500 accountants, grocery stores—every segment of the economy has a dedicated media niche. These can take the form of subscription outlets, social media channels, even messaging apps. If you can identify that niche, you can distribute your message much more effectively than in the past.
Use AI. Don't Let It Use You
AI has been all the rage since ChatGPT burst onto the scene less than two years ago. And in my experience, many founders have leaned too heavily on the new conventional wisdom that AI is going to reshape everything and we all need to get on board or get left behind.
Tools like ChatGPT are extremely useful for mundane but important tasks that might otherwise be filled by junior personnel. I'm talking about things like taking and summarizing meeting notes, cross-checking data and scouring the internet for information. But it still isn't a replacement for original thought and shouldn't be used as a primary writer.
This is actually more important today than it was a year ago because audiences have developed a reflex for spotting content that looks as though it was written by a bot. Overreliance on AI tools can even damage your reputation as a thought leader exactly when you should be trying to build your public stature.
There Is Still No Substitute for Earned Media
Many of the groups I've worked alongside have invested in paid or "sponsored" content. The value proposition is not hard to understand: a clear, one-for-one transaction, a fee in exchange for visibility in some publication. This can seem preferable to the uncertainty inherent in authentic "earned" media coverage.
But people are smart, and they can tell when something is pay-to-play. Conversely, audiences respect, as they always have, companies that achieve positive coverage from third-party outlets with no "skin in the game." There are few better signals of quality and momentum than genuine, organic media coverage. This is as true in 2024 as it was in 1924.
Local News Lives On
Much ink has been spilled about the death of local news over the past 25 years. And it's true that, with the exception of those outlets with a national brand like The New York Times, The Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times, local newspapers are a shadow of their former selves.
But the truth is that, as with national and global media, local news hasn't been so much wiped out as transformed. It's perhaps no surprise that San Francisco, the epicenter of the AI boom, is also at the vanguard of new forms of local news that could well be a harbinger of the future for many regions.
Why should an ambitious entrepreneur care if there is a vibrant local media market in, say, Kansas City? Because businesses, investors and customers exist in their local communities. Drawing attention to something happening in people's backyards can inject a level of human interest and connection that's hard to conjure through national or global outlets.
Message Matters
My final point is perhaps the most important, and it is timeless. Tactics, campaigns, brilliant teams of marketing executives—all of these things can fall short if the substance isn't there. Ultimately, the message is what matters.
This is the reason my career in media has been, and continues to be in PR, so rewarding. Yes, I get to use the experience and expertise I've built up over the years to help founders tell their stories to the world. But the point is that the stories need telling.
If your message is illogical, stale or at odds with the lives of most people, no amount of media savvy will bring success. 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 a managing partner at Angle42, a strategic communications agency for fast-growing startups in the Web3, AI and other emerging technology industries.
