Publishers and journalists are a pretty unbiddable breed, so we shouldn’t be surprised our mantra tends away from corporate or industrial swagger. Existential threats to journalism: that’s one of our common refrains. But right now, there is an awful lot to be objectively pessimistic about, from an at-best zombie economic outlook to AI’s accelerating disintermediation of the interface between journalism and the public.
In this context, an outbreak of cautious optimism felt in early 2026 at the Guardian might seem counterintuitive. Momentum in our global supporter model underpins some of that positivity, led by my brilliant colleague, Liz Wynn. Rapid supporter growth outside of the UK signals to us something a bit more than just mechanical business development.
But our mood also comes from something even more far-reaching. As synthetic content rises, the need for experienced, judicious, human-crafted, on-the-ground reporting and specialisms become substantially greater, not smaller.
People are tiring of AI slop. Resentment of addictive algorithms and associated social pressure in the real world is rising. As such, slowly but surely, the rewards and incentives for clickbait and copying content (rife in the search optimisation era) are being, and will increasingly be, replaced by rewards and incentives for origination and trusted content. The pendulum is swinging back in favour of distinctive human journalism; valued by the public, valued by advertisers, valued by those crawlers and bots that want to partner and surface reliable and trusted sources and voices.
Nonetheless, the journalism economy has always been and remains complicated. During the most intensive and radical structural shift in journalism for more than a generation, a familiar rule. The winners will require shareholders or owners incurably dedicated to the belief and purpose of quality journalism as a force for democratic good, not just profits.
Two additional reasons we are feeling cautiously optimistic. Journalism media are increasingly focused on their unique curations and offerings, not just as newsrooms, but as brands and distinct voices in a synthetic world. The Guardian feels extremely well placed in this context; and a number of British media would be right to feel so.
And we are also sensing a greater spirit of industry collaboration than we have seen for some time. It is obviously true that public policy cannot keep up with technology developments, but historically, media enterprises have never waited around for policy to catch up. It takes confidence to step forward and thrive. The digital era has been dominated by infrastructure created by, and for, tech and distribution rather than for creative and journalism origination. A number of encouraging initiatives are finally sounding a more confident media tune. One thing is for sure: now is not the time to be retreating from commitment to quality journalism’s principles and effects. We need to embrace them, and we need to showcase them.
This article was first published in the Publishing Partners Guide 2026, which was distributed with the January / February 2026 issue of InPublishing magazine. You can register to receive InPublishing magazine here.
