How should personalization work in journalism when trust, fairness, and editorial responsibility are at stake?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Christoph Schmitz, Product Manager at Schibsted Media and lead of Curate, the content recommendation system used across several of the largest news brands in the Nordics.

Christoph has worked with content recommendation for a long time. In this conversation, he explains how personalization is applied in practice inside a large media organization, and where the real risks appear when editorial judgment, algorithms, and audience behavior intersect.

The discussion focuses on why segmentation models borrowed from advertising often fall short in a journalistic context, how dominant audience groups can shape recommendations in unintended ways, and why adding more data does not automatically lead to better outcomes. Christoph also shares how collaborative filtering is used at Schibsted, why it relies on reading behavior rather than tags or assumptions, and what its limitations are.

A central theme throughout the episode is the role of the homepage. We explore why readers see different stories, why this can be difficult to explain internally, and why the very top of the page still carries editorial meaning even as personalization expands elsewhere. Christoph introduces the idea of the homepage as a shared reference point — a place where readers understand what matters at a given moment, whether they read every story or not.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• What personalization means in an editorial context
• Why segmentation introduces structural bias in news recommendation
• How dominant user groups influence what journalism gets visibility
• Collaborative filtering explained through real newsroom examples
• How demographic data can reduce model performance
• Personalization as a tool for fairer distribution of journalism
• Why readers see different versions of the homepage
• The editorial role of the homepage top
• Why news products should not be designed like social platforms
• The “bonfire” metaphor and its relevance for shared public understanding
• Why personalization requires gradual, incremental change

If you work with personalization, content recommendation, homepage strategy, or editorial-product collaboration, this episode offers a detailed and experience-based look at how these systems function in reality, and what needs to be handled with care.

🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on journalism, personalization, and the strategic choices shaping the news industry.

Chapters

00:00 The Risks of Personalization

02:47 Understanding Personalization in Media

05:32 The Evolution of Personalization Models

08:10 Collaborative Filtering and Its Impact

10:54 The Role of Demographics in Personalization

13:35 Challenges in Personalization for Newsrooms

16:25 The Importance of Content Pool for Personalization

18:41 The Misconceptions of Personalization

21:17 The Future of Personalization in Journalism

24:22 The Role of Desk Editors in Automated Systems

26:59 The Concept of Liquid Content

29:32 Building a Personalization Team

32:04 Measuring the Value of Journalism

35:06 Visualizing a Personalized Homepage

Research paper on personalization and long-term reader engagement:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09136

INMA case study:

https://www.inma.org/blogs/ideas/post.cfm/personalising-the-front-page-isn-t-just-smart-it-s-fair

Trailer photo credit: Foto: Mathias Broe.

Why do people really pay for news in 2025 — and what keeps them paying month after month?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Dominic Grzbielok, Head of Paid Content s at Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ). Dominic is a former journalist turned product leader who has spent the last 15 years living in the intersection of newsroom culture, product strategy, and subscription growth.

SZ has set an ambitious north-star: fund the entire company through digital subscriptions by 2030. That goal shapes everything — from what the homepage looks like, to how paywalls work, to what metrics matter most. Dominic shares how SZ is evolving from reach-first thinking to serving loyal subscribers, why churn is the ultimate truth, and how habits — not hacks — are the real retention engine.

We also dive into the most heated questions publishers face right now:
Should personalization climb higher on the homepage?
Do dynamic paywalls beat hard paywalls?
And in a world of AI answers and LLM distribution… do we still need a homepage at all?

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Why people subscribe to news — and why “feeling informed” beats raw content

• The 2030 goal: going all-in on digital subscription revenue

• Why revenue matters more than subscriber counts (and the danger of discount addiction)

• The homepage as front door and brand signal — with 3/4 of it paywalled

• How SZ introduced hybrid personalization (editorial top, algorithmic modules below)

• What it takes to earn editorial trust in personalization: dashboards, rules, fast fixes

• The single most important metric

• Habits that retain: newsletters, podcasts, quizzes, games, and serialized content

• Bundling as a retention strategy — including SZ’s winning sports bundle with Kicker

• Why regional mega-bundles are harder in Germany than in the Nordics

• Dynamic paywalls: promising, but not worth the complexity yet

• AI distribution and licensing: partner, don’t panic — but don’t give away the brand

• The future for small publishers: specialization, local dominance, and cost discipline

• Dominic’s biggest lesson: the best products happen when journalists, designers, and PMs build together

If you’re working on subscriptions, personalization, homepage strategy, or trying to navigate the AI-era business model shift — this conversation is a grounded, practical walk through what it takes to build a subscriber-first newsroom without losing your soul.

What happens when competitors share their most sensitive numbers — and build one common truth instead of competing dashboards?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise talks with Bente Håvimb, Project Manager at MBL (the Norwegian Media Business Association), about Medietall — the shared measurement system that unites nearly every Norwegian publisher under one set of trusted audience data.

We dive into why transparency matters in an era of declining ad revenues, how collaboration on data helps publishers compete with global tech giants, and what makes Norway’s news market a “unicorn” in the eyes of international observers.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Why openness and shared standards build trust between publishers, advertisers, and readers

• How Medietall measures reach, subscriptions, and behavior across 190+ titles

• Why “apples to apples” data lets Norwegian media stand stronger against Big Tech

• The unique Norwegian mix: high subscriptions, direct traffic, and logged-in users

• How advertisers actually use these numbers — and why many still default to global platforms

• What success looks like for Medietall: stability, quality, and constant adaptation

• The road ahead: video, audio, AI, and measuring trust as the next big KPI

If you want to understand how collaboration can turn competitors into allies — and why a transparent, shared dataset is becoming the strongest weapon against Big Tech dominance — this conversation offers a rare look behind the numbers that shape Norway’s media industry.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, personalization, and the strategies shaping the media industry.

Chapters

00:00 The State of Norwegian News Media

05:38 The Importance of Data Sharing in Media

11:19 Trust and Collaboration Among Publishers

17:14 Advertising Value and Media Reach

22:58 Unique Aspects of the Norwegian Media Market

28:49 Future Outlook for Media and Data

34:36 Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

When 80% of homepage clicks happen in the very top rows, this is exactly where personalization has the biggest impact.

At the same time, publishers face declining traffic from social platforms and search, making the homepage a central place to build direct relationships with readers.

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise talks with Dana Schlüenzen, Director of Product at Hamburger Morgenpost (MOPO), about how her team introduced personalization at the top of the homepage. She explains the challenges of early systems that worked like a “black box,” why editorial control was essential to move forward, and what changed when personalization was combined with transparency.

The discussion covers how MOPO tested personalization with its HSV football coverage, how the newsroom adapted, and what results followed: A 32% jump in CTR, evergreen stories resurfacing at the right time, and a newsroom culture shift that embraced personalization as a tool for strengthening direct reader relationships.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Why the top rows drive 80% of clicks — and why personalization belongs there

• How “black box” algorithms undermine editorial trust

• The breakthrough: personalization with transparency and control

• Why direct engagement matters more as social/search traffic declines

• Lessons from testing on MOPO’s HSV football page

• Real results: 32% CTR growth and happier readers

• The cultural shift that turned skeptics into advocates

If you’re rethinking homepage strategy with personalization in a world where direct reader engagement matters more than ever, this episode offers both practical lessons and candid reflections from the frontline.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, personalization, and the strategies shaping the media industry.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Homepage Engagement
03:41 Challenges of Personalization in News
07:16 Balancing Control and Algorithmic Recommendations
11:09 The Role of Editorial Teams in Personalization
14:45 Testing and Learning from Personalization Strategies
18:17 Measuring Success: CTR and User Engagement
22:21 Cultural Shifts in Newsrooms
25:51 Future of Personalization in Journalism

What happens when you give local newsrooms its own AI lab — and build tools that think with you, not just for you?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise is joined by Markus Franz, CTO at Ippen Media — Germany’s largest local journalism network — to explore how AI agents, adaptive content, and experimentation culture are shaping the future of journalism.

Markus shares the story behind building Ippen’s internal AI lab, the kinds of projects they run, and why curiosity, speed, and a willingness to fail (fast) are critical for transforming legacy newsrooms. From ambient intelligence and elastic content to the evolving role of journalists as navigators, this is a conversation full of bold ideas and practical insight.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• What AI agents actually do in a newsroom

• Why the future has no buttons — just voice

• How Ippen’s lab team drives experimentation (and when they hand it off)

• Adaptive content vs. elastic content (and why it matters)

• How AI can help local journalism be faster, cheaper, and more relevant

• Building tools for the audience — not just the journalist

• The one trait Markus looks for in every lab hire

Plus: If you dropped him in a struggling newsroom with just a laptop and Wi-Fi, Markus reveals exactly what he’d build first.

Whether you’re thinking about personalization, newsroom transformation, AI strategy, or culture change — this is your front-row seat to the experimental edge of European journalism.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the media industry.

What do advertisers really want from publishers — and why do so many budgets still flow to big tech?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Ann Jack, Managing Director of WPP Media Norway, to talk about what actually drives modern media buying decisions — and what publishers need to do to compete.

From clean rooms and connected TV to programmatic out-of-home and first-party data strategies, this episode unpacks what’s changed, what buyers prioritize, and how publishers can unlock more value by making it easier to buy.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Why friction-free buying is Important

• The power of first-party data (and who’s using it well)

• Why siloed formats and walled gardens block growth

• How WPP uses AI to optimize cross-channel campaigns

• What media sellers must know about Gen Z consumption habits

• What media must know about Gen Z consumption habits

• And why attention, attribution, and access matter more than ever

Whether you're in publishing, adtech, sales, or strategy — this is a front-row view into what the world’s biggest media buyers expect in 2025 and beyond.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the media industry.

Chapters

00:00 The Shift in Media Spending

02:48 Challenges for Publishers in the Digital Age

05:57 Navigating the Media Landscape: A Personal Journey

08:53 The Consolidated Media Landscape in Norway

12:07 Attracting Advertisers: The Appeal of Big Tech

14:59 Engaging Younger Audiences: The Role of Publishers

18:05 Building Strong Partnerships with Publishers

21:07 The Importance of Trust in Media

23:59 Adapting to Changing Consumer Behavior

28:09 The Shift in Content Consumption

30:00 Evolution of Advertising Formats

32:35 Programmatic Advertising Innovations

35:15 Challenges for Publishers

39:27 Future of Media and Content Delivery

45:06 The Role of Publishers in a Changing Landscape

What happens when a media company isn’t owned by investors — but by a single trust with a long-term mission?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Kjersti Løken Stavrum, CEO of the Tinius Trust — the sole owner of Schibsted Media, the largest media group in the Nordics.

We explore what changed when Schibsted’s media arm split from its marketplace business, their big bets for the future, and how that opened the door to major moves like their deal with OpenAI.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Why a trust model offers both stability and responsibility in today’s media

• The thinking behind separating media from Schibsted’s high-margin marketplace business

• The OpenAI agreement — how it came together, what it covers, and what’s next

• What changes when journalism gets full strategic focus

• Serving Gen Z without compromising on editorial standards

• Press freedom, platform power, and the case for building European tech infrastructure

• Why independence still depends on one thing: being able to pay your own bills

If you work in media, trust-based governance, AI, digital strategy, or editorial leadership — this episode offers a rare inside look at how one of Europe’s biggest media groups is rethinking the future from the ground up.

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Chapters

00:00 The Impact of Technology on Media

06:02 Understanding the Tinius Trust

11:46 The Shift in Media Ownership

17:54 Challenges of Journalism in a Digital Age

23:51 Engaging the Younger Audience

30:13 The Role of Algorithms in Journalism

32:26 The Importance of Trust in Journalism

38:10 Revenue Streams and the Future of Media

44:20 AI's Role in Journalism

53:59 Future Outlook for Journalism

01:00:26 The New X Factor in Journalism Teams

🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the news industry.

What does it take to turn a casual reader into a loyal subscriber — and keep them coming back?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Madeleine White, VP of Marketing at Poool and co-founder of The Audiencers, to break down what’s really working in audience strategy today. Madeleine has a unique bird’s-eye view of the global publishing industry — working with publishers across the world — helping them move readers from anonymous to engaged, registered, subscribed, and retained.

This isn’t about vanity metrics or one-size-fits-all funnels. It’s about creating meaningful value at each step of the user journey, building registration as a product, and designing dynamic subscription paths based on who your audience really is.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• The full reader journey: from anonymous visitor to loyal subscriber

• How registration unlocks first-party data and multiplies subscription conversion

• What great onboarding looks like (and why most publishers skip it)

• How publishers like Blick, Clarin, and Jeune Afrique are personalizing at scale

• The power of community and why it’s no longer optional

• Bridge roles: the unsung heroes connecting editorial, product, and marketing

• What retention actually means — and how to win back churned subscribers

• Madeleine’s top lessons from running The Audiencers and working with publishers worldwide

If you work in digital publishing, audience growth, product, subscriptions, or newsroom transformation — this episode is full of concrete examples, strategies, and learnings you can put to use.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, audience strategy, and the strategies shaping the news industry.

What happens after the AI hype fades?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Aliya Itzkowitz — Who works at FT Strategies and built out the framework for the Google News Initiative’s AI Launchpad — to unpack how AI is actually being used inside real newsrooms.

Forget the buzzwords. Aliya shares what’s working, what isn’t, and how media companies can move from fragmented experimentation to measurable impact. Drawing on her work with dozens of publishers, she breaks down the frameworks, team dynamics, and strategic choices that help newsrooms turn AI into more than a headline.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• The 3-part framework for applying AI across newsroom operations

• Build vs. buy: when to partner, when to invest, and how to avoid dead ends

• The hidden value of AI pilots (it’s not just time savings)

• How to structure teams for real collaboration across editorial, product, and tech

• Why leadership buy-in and bottom-up experimentation must co-exist

• What’s next for newsrooms as AI becomes business-as-usual

Whether you're working in editorial, product, strategy, or leading innovation — this episode is full of hard-earned lessons and practical frameworks for using AI in journalism with purpose.

Chapters:

00:00 The Evolution of AI in Newsrooms

02:53 Frameworks for AI Implementation

05:45 Understanding the Build vs. Buy Dilemma

09:00 The Role of Empathy in Transformation

12:12 Zooming Out: The Bigger Picture

14:47 Experimentation and Learning

18:08 Navigating the AI Landscape

20:54 Trust and Transparency in AI

23:46 Measuring Success in AI Initiatives

31:23 Defining Success in AI Experiments

34:51 Unintended Consequences of AI Experiments

38:58 The Importance of Team Dynamics in AI Projects

43:51 Scaling AI Initiatives in Large Organizations

49:23 Gaining Leadership Buy-In for AI Projects

51:58 Evaluating AI Experimentation and Future Directions

54:52 Critical Questions for AI Implementation in Newsrooms

🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, AI, and the strategies shaping the news industry.

#AIinNewsrooms #MediaInnovation #DigitalPublishing #NewsroomStrategy #ProductThinking #Journalism #FTStrategies #AIFrameworks #AudienceStrategy #BuildvsBuy #EditorialTech

How do you turn a niche publication into a must-have industry platform?

In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Tom Seaman, founder and editor-in-chief of Undercurrent News — a B2B media company covering the global seafood industry.

With over 70% of its revenue coming from subscriptions. But the real story? Undercurrent went beyond content — building pricing platforms, trade data tools, and a product-led approach that drives value and retention.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• How Undercurrent grew a global audience in a specialized market

• The evolution from newsroom to data-driven publishing and combining it

• Why B2B subscriptions are thriving (and how to sell them)

• Editorial and sales working together (yes, really)

• What it takes to build lasting value in niche media

• And yes — Tom answers the question: “How much is the fish?”

If you work in digital publishing, subscriptions, product, B2B media, or newsroom innovation — this episode is packed with strategies, learnings, and a few laughs along the way.

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🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the news industry.

Chapters:

00:00 Trends and Challenges in the Global Seafood Market

03:00 Building a Niche Media Powerhouse

05:56 The Vision Behind Undercurrent News

09:11 Understanding the Seafood Sector

11:55 Balancing Coverage: Comprehensive vs. In-Depth

15:08 The Shift to Subscription Revenue

17:53 Sales Strategy and Customer Engagement

21:07 The Importance of Data in Seafood Reporting

24:02 Developing a Pricing Portal

27:04 Challenges in Data Collection

29:56 The Future of Seafood Data Services

34:40 Navigating the Seafood Sector's Complexity

39:23 The Art of Data-Driven Storytelling

43:28 Editorial Decision-Making in Journalism

49:36 Building a Global Journalism Team

53:00 Hiring for Expertise vs. Talent

58:16 Lessons from Building a Niche Media Company

01:05:49 The Future of Journalism in an AI World

#B2BMedia #NicheMedia #DigitalPublishing #Subscriptions #Journalism #SeafoodIndustry #MediaInnovation #AudienceStrategy #NewsroomTransformation