Who shapes news storytelling today?

By Presley McCaskill

Emerging technologies and shifting audience behaviors are reshaping journalism, altering how news is produced and distributed and who has the power to shape public narratives.

At a panel organized by the Center for Media & Communities at Arizona State University’s California Center, media leaders examined these forces and what they mean for the future of news. During the discussion, a shared theme emerged: Journalism is increasingly shaped by independent creators and audiences who actively curate their own information ecosystems.

Moderated by Chelsea Reynolds, executive director of the Center for Media & Communities at ASU, the panel included:

• Andy Pergam, executive director, Knight Center for the Future of News at ASU
• Kevin Merida, journalist and author
• Matt Pearce, director of policy, Rebuild Local News
• Angie Chuang, author and associate professor, University of Colorado 

According to Reynolds, one of the most significant forces reshaping journalism is the rise of AI-mediated information environments and platform-driven distribution. She described a shift “away from some of the legacy news models and towards new opportunities to develop relationships with communities.”

These changes are accelerating a move away from curated news products toward individualized media consumption. Pergam pointed to the growing role of independent publishers and creator-driven journalism, noting that audiences are increasingly choosing their own media diets. 

“In this world now where you don’t just get the bundle that shows up in The Washington Post on your kitchen table, you actually pick your own bundle of who you’re reading,” said Pergam. However, he noted this shift is presenting challenges for sustainability. “We’ve got to figure out the economics of how it actually works for everyone to still have that community.”

As traditional legacy advertising models erode, news organizations are experimenting with more direct relationships with communities, membership structures and creator-led approaches. The result is a more fragmented but also more entrepreneurial media landscape, where journalists and storytellers are increasingly building independent platforms rather than relying solely on established institutions.

“Startups are a positive thing. It essentially says journalists are betting on themselves,” said Merida. “Independent creators have been able to go out on their own, build their audience and have a real following.”

While journalists thrive in an independent environment, Chuang voiced concern about bias being more pronounced in a world where algorithms and artificial intelligence increasingly mediate what audiences see. Journalism reflects and reinforces broader social structures, especially through patterns of representation, she said. She also introduced the concept of “American otherness,” describing how certain communities are not always recognized as fully belonging: “Think of it as American with an asterisk,” said Chuang. 

As the discussion made clear, journalism is in the midst of a profound transformation driven by technology, shifting power structures and financial models and evolving audience behavior. How the industry responds now will help define not only how stories are told, but who gets to tell them in the years ahead.