Journalism has a unique capacity to stir social dialogue and define what is important to the public. That’s why the survival of the media is more than just a journalism problem: all of us can and ought to be concerned about the future of the journalism business. 

The media should be treated as a public good, Joanna Krawczyk, chairwoman of the Leading European Newspaper Alliance and the Gazeta Wyborcza Foundation, says. “Media are indeed the pillar of democracy: thanks to journalists, citizens become informed. And information is power—this is the key to free societies.” As such, overcoming numerous obstacles faced by contemporary media companies around the world will require external help from governments, international organizations and the public itself.

Although legacy media, primarily print, have considerably more experience in producing professional journalism, in comparison with digital media and social media networks, traditional media do not change fast. Understandably, adaptation of their technology, production lines, management hierarchies and work ethics takes time. But there’s no choice. “There is no going back to the kingdom of print. It’s gone, and we have to face it,” Krawczyk said.

The transition will be jarring – and for organizations unable to change fast enough, may even spell their doom. “In order to create the digital space above your business model, you have to probably give up and destroy something much faster than its lifespan would probably be,” says Kai Diekmann, former editor-in-chief at the German tabloid Bild. Experience shows that both readership and revenues tend to fall during the transition to digital.

Successful organizations, Diekmann argued at the symposium, must retain the attention of younger generations, who will soon constitute the majority of media consumers. That requires adapting the content and telling stories in new ways. More visual, interactive forms of information are what younger audiences are looking for. “The product has to fit into the ecosystem,” Diekmann said.

According to Diekmann, younger media consumers differ from older generations, who seek information actively—by leaving their houses and heading to newsagents’ kiosks. Digital media consumers, on the other hand, expect to have entertaining, relevant information delivered to them. Journalists are faced with the task of finding ways to make news of public importance more entertaining and algorithm-ready. “If we try to sell the same old wine in a different bottle, it won’t work,” Diekmann said.

Overall, Diekmann and Krawczyk were optimistic about the future of journalism. There will always be a need for quality information, as humans are social beings who want to be part of a bigger community, Diekmann says: “We simply need something to talk about with one another.”