Newsroom-Driven AI in Action: Publisher Insights and Paywall Guide
Dear reader,
AI is making waves in media, transforming how news organizations connect with readers, streamline operations, and boost digital subscriptions. In this edition, we’re exploring the diverse use cases AI presents and showcasing how The Globe and Mail has leveraged it to work smarter and deliver even greater value to their audience.
We’ll also dive into one of the most exciting applications of AI: dynamic paywalls. In this guide, you’ll find an easy-to-follow framework of questions to bring back to your team, designed to help you assess your current strategy and pinpoint where AI can optimize for revenue growth and increased efficiency.
And don’t miss our latest case study featuring Le Monde’s impressive achievements in strengthening acquisition and engagement with an LTV-based approach—it’s packed with actionable insights to help you strengthen your subscription strategy.
Happy Reading!
In today’s newsletter:
AI in the Newsroom: Transforming journalism for the Digital Age
The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and journalism has sparked both excitement and curiosity within the media industry. As AI becomes more integrated into the newsroom, the opportunities for enhancing efficiency and creating new value for audiences have grown exponentially.
In a recent discussion at an event hosted by BDZV, Alasdair McKie, director of project management at Mather Economics, and a key player in the adoption of AI technology during his tenure at The Globe and Mail, shared insights into the ways AI is reshaping newsrooms.
In this article, we’ll explore key takeaways, highlighting how AI is transforming journalism by revolutionizing content curation, dynamic paywalls, and data-driven strategies in today’s newsrooms. To fully appreciate AI’s impact, we can look at one of the early pioneers in this space: The Globe and Mail.
The genesis of AI at The Globe and Mail
Around 2015, The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, launched a data science team named “Sophi” to develop AI-driven solutions aimed at solving newsroom challenges. The initiative began with a simple goal: to help journalists and editors better understand the value of the content they were producing. Initially, the focus was on digital publishing, where the emphasis was largely on clicks and page views. However, the Sophi team recognized that while clicks measured engagement, they did not necessarily reflect the value of the content in terms of user loyalty, subscriptions or return on investment.
To address this, the team developed what was initially known as the “Globe Score,” later renamed the “Sophi Score,” which measured the value of content by analyzing user behavior. The tool helped The Globe and Mail identify areas where they were either underserving or overserving their audience. By understanding what types of content readers valued most — expressed through user registrations, subscription payments or engagement — the newsroom was able to optimize its editorial strategy and allocate resources more efficiently.
A Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Paywall Strategy with AI
With recent news from Digiday revealing that Business Insider increased conversions by 75% using an AI-powered paywall, we’re taking a closer look at how publishers can leverage similar strategies for their own success. This guide introduces key areas for assessment and poses critical questions you can take back to your team to identify gaps in your current paywall strategy and unlock new opportunities with AI. Whether you’ve already implemented AI or are just exploring its potential, AI-powered paywalls offer transformative possibilities, enabling data-driven decisions that optimize total revenue, enhance the reader experience, and drive greater efficiency.
1. Define Your Goals
Start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your paywall strategy. It may seem obvious, but whether you’re already using AI or not, regularly revisiting your business objectives is essential to ensure you’re maximizing your return on investment.
Key Questions:
2. Assess Your Tech and Data Readiness
Next, ask yourself if your paywall system is making the most of the connections across your tech and data ecosystem. While it may be integrated with content management, ad servers, and analytics tools, the question is whether you're leveraging these integrations to their full potential. AI-powered paywalls often go beyond traditional setups, enabling smarter, real-time assessments of content and user value to drive better decisions.
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Key Questions:
Continue reading to explore more essential areas for optimizing your paywall.
Free or Premium? Maximizing Your Content’s Value
Discover the right subscription strategy for you with Madeleine White of The Audiencers & Poool and Jen de Ruyter from Mather. In this session you’ll learn more about:
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How Le Monde Boosted Engagement and Profitability with Mather’s Analytics
With over 80 years in publication, Le Monde leads as France’s top newspaper. To boost retention among its 640,000+ subscribers, Le Monde partnered with Mather to analyze how perks like puzzles and archives impact loyalty and profitability. This case study reveals strategies to optimize subscriptions for greater engagement and revenue.
Elevate your Digital Offer Strategy with Lifetime Value
Balancing volume goals, revenue, and trial offers is a challenge, but publishers may be overlooking the key question: which approach maximizes lifetime value (LTV)? An LTV-centered strategy shifts focus from isolated decisions to a holistic approach, empowering sustainable growth. Continue reading to explore these strategies in depth.