What next for the content and communications industries?
Five Young Stationers gaze into their crystal balls to predict what 2025 has in store
Letter from the Editor
2024. A year dominated by artificial intelligence.
Yesterday, I asked ChatGPT (ironic, I know) to calculate how many online articles have been published about AI in our content and communications industries this year. It estimated: 119,500. A hefty number — and twice as many as 2022 (according to ChatGPT, again).
Naturally, we must take this data with a pinch of salt, but most of us are still going to take it. Certainly, I wouldn’t be able to (and don’t want to) conjure this figure myself.
The last 12 months have proven that we cannot escape AI, so we must work with it; to acknowledge its potential whilst mitigating its threats.
Indeed, it is all three of apt, interesting and significant that, to end the year, the UK Government has launched a public consultation to examine the legal framework surrounding AI and copyright. This insightful article from Porter Anderson at Publishing Perspectives is worth checking out for a condensed overview.
What will 2025 bring? Who knows! But your industry peers have speculated below.
And as always, if you are interested in contributing to The Stationer, wish to share a job opportunity, or simply fancy having a chat, feel free to drop me a line at robert.wilding96@gmail.com.
Enjoy the issue and Happy New Year!
119,501.
Rob Wilding, Publisher of The Stationer.
‘Online will continue to haemorrhage traditional broadcasters’
By Luke Jarmyn, freelance journalist, newsreader and sports commentator
BROADCASTING is in the middle of a heavily-evolving period: exciting, but also concerning due to where it is leading the industry.
It is catching up with the printed press in feeling the squeeze brought about by increased competition from online services.
Several people recently told me during the holidays that they no longer watch live television, or even the news, and instead stream what they want to consume.
While the advent of new channels and streaming services have created plenty of consumer choice, it has led to over-supply and a reduction in quality.
Meanwhile, traditional terrestrial broadcasters such as the BBC are shrinking their output, haemorrhaging jobs, and not developing their workforce due to a loss of revenue.
I predict this to continue during 2025, with Ofcom being perceived more as an out-of-touch regulator.
A big topic in 2025 will be the growing use of artificial intelligence and how it impacts copyright law in the creative process.
It feels like both a local and international conundrum that is likely to make more headlines as issues increasingly unravel over the next 12 months.
‘Notebooks and diaries are set for huge growth’
By Annie Couldrey, Creative Director of Rebel Stationery
WHILST many industries continue to see a movement towards a more digital offering, sales of notebooks and diaries are rising year-on-year, with huge growth predicted for 2025 and beyond.
Much of this is down to nostalgia and an increasing understanding of the important role putting pen to paper has on our cognitive development from an early age, right through to the daily mindfulness many people now practice as they prioritise their mental health.
‘Journalists will show resolve in these uncertain times’
By Bill Bowkett, Editor of The Stationer
THIS year has been a turbulent ride for journalists: job cuts are on the rise, governments are tightening their grip on the media and newsrooms are scrambling to develop strategies for monetising news in the digital age.
Last year, Metro — the highest-circulating newspaper in Britain — transformed into a digital-first business and became profitable in the process.
I predict that many national newsrooms will follow Metro’s restructure model and start creating one cohesive editorial team for print and online, if the dailies and Sundays are to have any hopes of survival.
Elsewhere, media conglomerates such as News Corp and Reach will expand their use of artificial intelligence to generate content, particularly breaking news stories.
Although AI reporting raises ethical issues in an industry whose credibility depends on trust, the technology has demonstrated its ability to summarise articles, detect fake audio and speed up investigations.
Lastly, I hope that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy can keep her promise to help create ‘a level playing field’ for local publishers in their battle for readers and revenue with technology platforms.
But despite the myriad of changes, hacks will continue to show resolve in 2025 in producing journalism of the highest quality.
Independent journalists, such as the Manchester Mill team and Jim Waterson with his popular newsletter London Centric, will be among those to flourish most in these uncertain times.
‘Libraries must diversify offerings’
By Heidi Kinderman, Research Librarian at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
WITH apologies to all the archivists out there, this is going to be a more library-focussed crystal-ball gazing exercise.
Although I used to work in archives, I have been a law librarian since 2019.
For both libraries and archives, artificial intelligence is, of course, the main trend.
I think we are going to see increasingly specific AI tools, with more strategic deployment for targeted research.
We will see an increase in regulation, with information professionals taking on quality control of AI usage.
Research libraries will continue to see a reduction in print copy — and the sector will continue to diversify their offerings to offset budget cuts and increase visibility within wider organisations.
Finally, I cannot sign off without mentioning the British Library, which is still valiantly rebuilding itself over a year since it was cyber-attacked.
Hopefully 2025 will see all its services back and deposit libraries with more funding to invest in stronger IT!
‘Traditional PR? It’s time to look elsewhere’
By Rob Wilding, Marketing Manager at Duckworth Books
WORKING in publishing and marketing, I am immersed in the world of PR, so I naturally keep a close eye on the state of the press.
A prediction from me is that people are going to turn further away from traditional media outlets for news and content consumption and turn increasingly to user-led social media platforms, such as Substack and TikTok, as the standard.
‘Old news’, you might say. The trend is, sure.
But it is the cause that is both new and concerning.
This isn’t a ‘digital’ issue, anymore.
In recent years, we have seen traditional news outlets embrace the digital, with the various e-papers available from the Daily Mail, Times and Guardian.
It has become a trust issue and, therefore, a much bigger one.
In the losing battle against the digital revolution of the past few decades, ‘trust’ and ‘reliability’ has been traditional media’s sales centrepiece.
However, I think this has started to erode for various reasons (which would take an essay to cover).
Publishers would be wise to reshape their publicity strategy, whilst advising agents and authors to readjust their expectations, in a shifting landscape in which the sway of traditional media is diminishing.
A literary review — already increasingly hard to secure — is not going to get you the book sales you may expect.
It is time to look elsewhere.
Industry takeaways
The sale of The Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, by the Scott Trust to media start-up Tortoise Media has been agreed in principle, despite a series of strikes and protests from staff over the deal. Press Gazette has the details.
Guinness World Records 2025 has narrowly pipped Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders to the top of the book charts this Christmas, according to data from Nielsen BookScan. While the team behind the annual collection will be celebrating selling 43,630 books in the last full week before Christmas Day, this is the lowest-performing festive number one since records began, The Bookseller reports.
Writers and publishers have criticised Spines, which plans to publish up to 8,000 books next year using artificial intelligence. The company will charge authors up to $5,000 (£4,000) to have their books proofread, designed and distributed with the help of AI, according to The Guardian.
Following the success of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the creators behind Pokémon have announced it is teaming up with Aardman Animations for ‘a special project’ containing ‘brand new adventures’, says Radio Times. Aardman and Mattel are also working to co-develop a stop-motion television series featuring Pingu.
With the festive period over for another year, it is time to get rid of some of the waste that has accumulated over the festive period. BBC News has created this guide on how to recycle tinsel, gift-wrap and toy packaging.
Opportunities board
Development Trainees, ITV Studios (Manchester) — Apply by January 5
Journalism & Marketing Development Programme, British Horseracing Authority (Newmarket) — Apply by February 28
Publishing Intern, Nick Hern Books (London) — Apply by January 13
Paul McClean Graduate Trainee, Financial Times (London) — Apply by January 13
Junior Digital Print Operator, Immersive Brands (London) — Apply ASAP
The Stationer is edited by Bill Bowkett. Please send thoughts, feedback and corrections to bill.bowkett@btinternet.com. Follow the Young Stationers on Facebook, X and Instagram. For more information, visit www.stationers.org/company/young-stationers.
Great to see these predictions and comments! A nicely broad perspective across content and communications.