"As this model shows its limits, 2026 will push us back toward the physical and tangible in the spaces we work, the ways we engage, and the products we create. Chasing growth pulled us toward rapid-fire media production and away from the actual people we speak to. Information became everywhere and, paradoxically, somehow nowhere. Social media, and now AI, have increased the volume of content and scrambled its inherent value, whether it's news or anything else."
"Speed made sense for a long time. Journalism is built on getting scoops, breaking news, being first, the first draft of history. Then digital publishing offered more space, more platforms, more stories, more measurable clicks. That velocity helped grow an audience, but it also shifted where journalists were asked to spend their time and what they think about when they publish."
Speed and digital expansion shifted journalism toward rapid production, prioritizing scoops, platform metrics, and clicks over sustained local engagement. The push for growth increased content volume while obscuring value, amplified by social media and AI. Newsroom contractions erased beats and reduced physical proximity, weakening coverage that depends on presence at community gatherings. As tangible information becomes scarcer, shared physical spaces regain importance for information and social cohesion. Small, community-driven journalism rooted in libraries, parks, churches, laundromats, and community rooms can rebuild proximity and trust. The future work centers on maintaining physical presence and leveraging shared spaces to bridge informational and social gaps.
Read at Nieman Lab
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