We discuss how people are responding to the growing role of AI in news and wider society In this episode of Future of Journalism we discuss one of the hottest topics in journalism right now which is how people are responding to the growing role of AI in news and wider society. We’ll look at how generative AI tools are being used, how people engage with AI-generated answers in online searches, and AI’s role in newsrooms and wider society.

Speakers:

Dr Felix M. Simon is a (political) communication researcher and Research Fellow in AI and Digital News at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Before joining us, he was a doctoral student at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), where he is a Research Associate.

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

You can find a full transcript of the podcast on our website: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-how-people-are-using-generative-ai-and-what-means-news

In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at people access news and information about topics in their local area. In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at the levels at which people access news and information about topics in their local area and whether they prefer to use news media or platforms to do so. We explore how this correlates with interest in news in general and how these trends vary around the world. We also discuss how news publishers can better engage audiences on a local level.

Speakers:

Richard Fletcher is a co-author of the Digital News Report and is the Director of Research at the Reuters Institute.

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Find a full transcript on our website: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-6-how-people-navigate-local-news-and-information

In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore the role of news alerts in distributing news and engaging audiences. In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore the role of news alerts in distributing news and engaging audiences. We look at which brands and platforms are sending them and with what frequency, as well as what audiences think of them including why they may have turned them off. We also look at the approach that news outlets should take in order not to irritate loyal users through over use.

Speakers

Nic Newman is the lead author of the Digital News Report 2025 and is a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute.

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-5-mobile-news-alerts-audience-engagement

We discuss how people check information that they suspect might be false, fake or misleading, and the role of news organisations in this process. If people come across information which they suspect may be false, fake or misleading, where do they turn to verify or debunk it? This is the question at the heart of this episode of our podcast mini series on the Digital News Report 2025. We discuss what are the most frequently named sources, where news organisations fit in among the wider choice of institutions, platforms and fac-checking websites, and how this all varies according to different audience factors.

Speakers:

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen is a Professor at the Department of Communication of the University of Copenhagen and a Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. He is a co-author of the Digital News Report 2025.

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Find a full transcript here:

https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-4-how-people-check-if-information-real-or-fake

In this episode of Future of Journalism, we look at levels of podcast consumption, what audiences say are their favourite podcasts, where they're being listened to and trends across countries. What is a news podcast nowadays? Some light entertainment podcasts discuss news, while a format designed for audio is thriving on visual platforms like YouTube. In this episode of Future of Journalism, we look at levels of podcast consumption, what audiences say are their favourite podcasts, where they're being listened to and trends across countries. We also look at the favoured platforms for listening, and how news publishers are using them for monetisation and engagement.

The speakers

Craig T. Robertson is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. His research focus includes news trust and credibility, fact-checking and verification, and how both partisan attitudes and epistemic beliefs factor into these domains. He is a co-author of the Digital News Report

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-3-rogan-pod-save-how-podcasts-are-reshaping-news

In this episode of our Digital News Report 2025 series we look at how audiences think about the various ways that AI is being rolled out across newsrooms. In this episode of our Digital News Report 2025 series we look at how audiences think about the various ways that AI is being rolled out across newsrooms. We look at various uses of AI in news, including summaries, translations and customised homepages, and what newsrooms plan to put more resources into. We gauge comfort levels among audiences and explore the reasons behind any differences across countries and age groups. We also discuss the potential for AI to engage those who are avoiding news.

Speakers

Amy Ross Arguedas is a Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and works on the Digital News Project including as a co-author of the Digital News Report.

Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Transcript: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-2-ai-and-personalised-news

What's happening with news media in 2025? Authors of our Digital News Report 2025 discuss the role of generative AI, trust in news, subscriptions, news avoidance, podcasts and more What's happening with news media in 2025? Authors of our Digital News Report 2025 discuss the role of generative AI, trust in news, subscriptions, news avoidance, podcasts and more

Speakers:

Nic Newman is the lead author of the Digital News Report 2025 and is a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute.

Richard Fletcher is a co-author of the Digital News Report and is the Director of Research at the Reuters Institute.

Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.

Transcript: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-1-what-you-need-know

In this episode of Fellowship Takeaways we hear from two journalists whose work and lives has been shaped by displacement. In this episode of Fellowship Takeaways we hear from two journalists whose work and lives has been shaped by displacement. They discuss the challenges of building trust, maintaining sources' anonymity, the emotional toll of their work and what newsrooms can do better to support journalists in exile.

Speakers:

Asmaa Al-Omar is a Syrian journalist who has reported on human rights violations, migration, and conflict in the Middle East for publications such as The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian. Her investigative work focuses on refugee issues and regional corruption.

Maria Kiseleva is a journalist and video producer from Russia, who relocated to Riga, Latvia, after the invasion of Ukraine to escape military censorship laws. Before the invasion, Maria was working for the BBC’s Russian Service in Moscow. She currently works for Current Time TV station, part of RFE/RL.

Our host Caithlin Mercer is the Associate Director of the Journalist Fellowship Programme at the Reuters Institute. Previously she was Managing Editor at Yahoo UK where spearheaded their move into audio.

Resources:

Transcript of the podcast: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-challenges-covering-russia-and-syria-exile

Thomson Reuters Foundation report on Strengthening Exiled Media

https://www.trust.org/initiative/supporting-media-in-exile/

Thomson Reuters Foundation report on Supporting Media in Exile https://www.trust.org/initiative/supporting-media-in-exile/

In this discussion held at the Reuters Institute we discuss how the news media can make climate journalism that lands with their audiences. In this episode of Future of Journalism we are sharing an edited conversation that we held at the institute around how audiences globally consume climate news, what they think of it and some of the challenges that news organisations face in making their climate journalism really land.

Speakers:

Katherine Dunn, Content Editor, Oxford Climate Journalism Network, Reuters Institute

Ivan Couronne, Global Editor, AFP’s ‘Future of the Planet’

Dr Waqas Ejaz, post-doctoral research fellow, Reuters Institute and lead author of our annual climate news report

Host: Mitali Mukherjee, Acting Director and Director of Journalist Programmes, Reuters Institute

Watch the full event on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/zwrw885cg6Q?si=1KeGUd3R3Nrcn_Jj

Read a transcript: https://otter.ai/u/TPI5rFZicOOkPpDC2OBfn2c9WNc?utm_source=copy_url

Read the Climate change and news audiences report 2024: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/climate-change-and-news-audiences-report-2024-analysis-news-use-and-attitudes-eight-countries

In this episode we discuss what news publishers are excited and concerned about in the year ahead. From the rapid evolution in the platform referral model to advances in capability of generative AI, newsrooms are having to deal with a raft of drastic changes in news production and audience behaviour. In this discussion, two authors of our yearly Trends and Predictions report, based on survey data of over 300 news leaders in 51 countries, break down what's keeping news leaders awake at night, what areas they plan to prioritise this year and what may happen to journalism in 2025. They look at generative AI, reader revenue, news influencers, product innovation and a lot more.

You can read the full report here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2025

A transcript of this podcast is available here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/what-should-we-expect-journalism-2025