Can AI save the news business? INMA CEO Earl J. Wilkinson joins Vanita Kohli-Khandekar on The Media Room to discuss AI in journalism, digital subscriptions and why getting readers to pay remains a challenge for Indian news publishers.

When news is available everywhere, what makes journalism worth paying for? And can artificial intelligence help publishers build a sustainable business?

In this episode of The Media Room from The Core, Earl J. Wilkinson, Executive Director and CEO of the International News Media Association, explores how the news business is being reinvented as print economics give way to digital media.

He explains why India’s inexpensive newspapers make digital subscriptions harder to sell, why blanket paywalls may not work and why publishers need to look beyond copying The New York Times.

Yet Wilkinson sees reasons for optimism. AI could help newsrooms analyse vast amounts of information and develop journalism they previously lacked the resources to produce. The opportunity extends beyond cutting costs to creating something readers value.

In this conversation

* How AI is changing journalism and newsroom jobs

* Why digital subscriptions and paywalls need a different approach in India

* What makes readers willing to pay for news

* Why global news brands can grow while local newspapers struggle

* How events, e-commerce and reader revenue support media businesses

* AI copyright and the debate over paying publishers for their content

* Why adapting to technology requires a change in newsroom culture

Drawing on examples from India and international markets, Wilkinson examines what the news business needs to become commercially sustainable and where AI could make a difference.

What would make you pay for news? Tell us in the comments.

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#AI #FutureOfJournalism #TheMediaRoom

(00:00) – The State of the Global News Media Business

(01:58) – The Biggest Challenge: Adapting to Constant Technological Change

(03:18) – Why News Media Companies Will Converge by 2030

(11:14) – Earl Wilkinson on the Evolution of India’s News Media Market

15:08 – Why Publishers Need to Rebuild Their Digital Businesses

(18:27) – Finding New Revenue Beyond Advertising

(22:24) – Can Indian News Media Build a Sustainable Subscription Business?

(25:00) – AI, Content Rights and the Future of News Publishing

(30:55) – Earl Wilkinson’s Favourite News Media Markets