3 lessons shaping media companies during the first half of 2026

Below are the three biggest ones along with blog posts we’ve created that can help you make progress in each area.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend!

AI is now becoming part of everyday work

There are a number of trends emerging around AI, but the biggest one I’m seeing is that it’s no longer something media companies are just testing or experimenting with. Now, AI is becoming a larger part of everyday operations for media companies.

How Pittsburgh Magazine created AI workflows their teams are now regularly using: This article walks through how we worked with the magazine to build workflows and shows how to operationalize AI.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/pittsburgh-magazine-ai-workflows/

How to structure stories for AI visibility: How you format content is becoming increasingly important for LLMs and this piece looks at simple changes you can make from key takeaways to FAQs that will help improve how your journalism appears in AI-generated answers.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/structuring-stories-for-ai-visibility/

+ These are the content strategies that work best on each of the major AI platforms

Build trust with practical AI guardrails: AI policies are critically important because they set the standards on how you will use AI in your organization. This article walks through how to create that framework.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/practical-ai-guardrails-in-newsrooms/

Rethinking what audience growth means

Audience growth today isn’t just about counting pageviews. It’s about building lasting relationships with readers and meeting them wherever they discover your content, whether that’s through newsletters, search, AI-powered platforms or the value you continue to create from your existing journalism.

Case study: How one publisher grew newsletter subscribers by 25%: This was a fascinating case study we put together showing how one publisher we worked with focused on its most engaged newsletter audience and the results were incredibly powerful.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/case-study-how-this-local-publisher-grew-newsletter-subscribers-by-25/

+ How to structure a newsletter that serves subscribers and non subscribers

Why Google’s new search experience changes content strategy: As Google began rolling out its new AI-powered search experience, I took a closer look at what those changes mean for publishers and the steps you should be considering now.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/why-googles-new-search-experience-changes-content-strategy-for-publishers/

How publishers can get more value from existing content: I’m always pleasantly surprised when we start working with a media company to discover how much content they have that we can help them take advantage of. This article shares ways to repurpose that content to reach new audiences without creating everything from scratch.

Read: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-publishers-can-get-more-digital-value-from-existing-david-arkin-sczec/

Social media is evolving beyond clicks

Social media has continued to evolve this year, with short-form video remaining one of the biggest drivers of audience growth. At the same time, publishers are finding new revenue opportunities through Meta’s monetization programs, sponsorships and more strategic approaches to social media that go well beyond simply posting links.

Eight Reels ideas every newsroom can use: Creating Reels takes more than simply pulling out your phone and hitting record. It takes an understanding of the formats and storytelling that is most effective. This article outlined how to do that.

Read: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-winning-reels-ideas-reporters-david-arkin-wndxc/

The social media metrics reporters should watch instead of likes: I kept hearing reporters say that a story on social media didn’t do well because it didn’t get a lot of likes, so a post looking at the metrics that actually matter made sense to write.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/social-media-metrics-reporters-should-watch/

How media companies can monetize Meta: Many publishers are leaving revenue on the table simply because their accounts aren’t fully optimized. This article explains how Meta’s monetization tools work and where publishers should focus first.

Read: https://www.davidarkinconsulting.com/turning-meta-engagement-into-revenue/

+ Bundling social media products into a better advertising package

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