Latest Exclusive Tech Reporting from E&P

Forget big tech — why small tools may save local media

Big tech has overpromised and underdelivered for local media. Now, E&P’s tech expert Guy Tasaka argues the real future lies in micro-SaaS, no-code tools, and affordable “good enough” solutions. After decades of enterprise complexity, small, scrappy platforms are finally solving the problems big vendors ignored — and doing it faster and cheaper. If you’re still waiting for the perfect system, you may already be falling behind.

You’re already using OSINT — now learn how to master it

While you may be unfamiliar with the term OSINT (open source intelligence), you’re likely already aware of how it’s used. It’s collecting and analyzing data gathered from open source, publicly available information to produce actionable intelligence. Local newsrooms and publishers are discovering how OSINT improves journalism and business intelligence.

Inside tech journalism: Big tech, startups and industry insights

The tech industry drives the U.S. economy, shaping every sector. Veteran journalists Todd Bishop (GeekWire) and Casey Newton (Platformer) share insights on covering Big Tech, AI and startups — highlighting innovation, policy impacts and evolving media strategies that engage audiences through newsletters, podcasts and investigative reporting on the future of technology.

A leap forward for AI in journalism from an unexpected place — small-town Missouri

Public-facing AI innovation has largely remained in the domain of Silicon Valley. But more than 2,000 miles away in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a family-owned network of news outlets seems determined to prove that it isn’t too late for local journalism to take charge of its digital destiny.

Content management systems (CMS): Essential for publishing success and improving the bottom line

Although there is no magic formula to alleviate all the pressures newsrooms face, utilizing a content management system (CMS) is the one digital tool essential for publishing and media success. Whether for-profit or nonprofit, media and news outlets of any size must achieve higher levels of efficiency, convenience and time- and cost-savings as these industries continue to evolve and become more competitive.

Five tectonic shifts set to reshape local media in 2025

As we barrel towards the midpoint of the 2020s, the local media landscape is poised for seismic changes that will redefine the industry as we know it. From the shedding of unprofitable properties to the rise of AI-powered autonomous media companies, here are five interrelated trends that E&P columnist Guy Tasaka believes will shape the future of local publishing in 2025 and beyond.

Why local publishers must seize the streaming audio revolution now

Remember when we said FAST channels would disrupt local TV? The same revolution is happening in audio, and publishers can’t afford to ignore it. With 83% of adults tuning into AM/FM radio (Nielsen) but over half of spoken-word listening now on digital devices (NPR), local media can leverage this shift to disrupt audio markets using their brand strength, audience trust, and advertiser relationships—no FCC license required.

Hindsight and adaptation: How local media is rethinking digital advertising

There is evidence that the news industry and all local legacy media are reinventing themselves to be better positioned to battle for their share of digital ad dollars. E&P recently spoke with three industry executives who talked about the need for local media to catch up to make a digital transformation and help their advertisers do the same, as well as the importance of changing the sales culture at local media companies.

X, in decline: Faced with few alternatives, journalists can at least apply practical guardrails to the Musk-owned platform

X, a platform once beloved by journalists, has become borderline unusable for a group that had been among its most devoted addicts. Since no one platform seems ready to replace X for journalists, E&P columnist Rob Tornoe offers a handful of suggestions that might improve your experience.

From transcription to trust: How AI is transforming news production

Though technological innovation moves at lightning speed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains in a fledgling phase. News organizations are understandably grappling with what AI means to both operations and long-term sustainability. Nicholas Diakopoulos, Ph.D., is dedicated to discovering those answers. He’s a communication studies and computer science professor at Northwestern University and the director of the Computational Journalism Lab (CJL). E&P asked Dr. Diakopoulos about his work in AI, automation and algorithms for news production, and some of the most often-asked AI questions we hear from readers.

Jumping on the AI train: An actionable guide for news publishers

AI is a moving target. It’s overwhelming. It’s moving faster than any technology we’ve ever had in the modern era. Many people don’t even know what they don’t know, but more importantly, they don’t know where to start. Here are five things publishers need to do TODAY!
Tasaka's Tech Talk

Why build a FAST channel: The business case for streaming

In today’s media landscape, video consumption is exploding. The Paris Olympics, the most-streamed in history at 82% higher than the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, proves that digital video is the present, not the future. This shift presents a unique opportunity for local newspaper publishers: FAST channels.

Searching for search traffic

Over the past few months, news organizations have grappled with changes at Google that have led to a dramatic drop in organic search traffic. Publishers have been forced to navigate what appears to be seismic shifts in how Google doles out traffic, with the integration of artificial intelligence (which remains unintelligent and error-prone) causing panic attacks across the industry.

Forbes presents publisher worries about AI

Randall Lane, the chief content officer at Forbes Media and editor at Forbes magazine, penned a June 11, 2024 column — “Why Perplexity’s Cynical Theft Represents Everything That Could Go Wrong With AI” — citing a dispute with major AI developer, Perplexity. E&P followed up with Lane to better understand what happened and to seek his advice to other news media publishers grappling with the copyright-AI conflict.
#NewsMedia Industry Tech News

Publishers are stepping up efforts to protect their websites from tech companies that hoover up content for new AI tools.

The tech company’s customers can automatically block AI companies from exploiting their websites, it said, as it moves to protect original content online.
BBC will begin public trials of two generative AI tools designed to support its news-production workflow.
Relying on ChatGPT significantly affects critical thinking abilities, according to a new study.
What will this mean for news? How soon can we create much more personalized versions of an article?
Meta Platforms is betting that automation is the future of ads. The social-media company aims to enable brands to fully create and target ads using artificial intelligence by the end of next year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites.
Meta is delaying the rollout of a flagship AI model, prompting internal concerns about the direction of its multibillion-dollar AI investments, people familiar with the matter said.
As search traffic dips, news organizations are facing a pivotal moment. Is it a doomsday scenario, or will it spark a reinvention?
Advertisers expect Google, Microsoft and others to develop sophisticated agentic technology, but next week at one of Google’s major conferences, the company could demonstrate what its developers have accomplished.
The rapid development of AI is already changing how journalists operate. Reporters, editors, executives and others across the news industry share their advice on how to engage — and where to draw the line.