What’s separates newsrooms that talk about innovation from those who actually achieve it? That’s the question that Amalie Nash, lead of INMA’s Newsroom Transformation Initiative, answered during the second day of the INMA Asia/Pacific News Media Summit.

Nash shared the commonalities of successful transformation she has observed during her nearly two years of heading up the initiative. She distilled her findings into five key insights, each one offering actionable ways to make the strategic shifts necessary to become a successful media organisation today.

1. They put audience at the centre

Although most media organisations claim to prioritise their readers, Nash observed that few truly understand what audiences want from news today.

“Newsrooms around the world have always said, ‘Of course we’re audience-centric … but there’s a lot of different signals that show the need to really hone in on what that means,” she said. That’s where user needs — the framework that categorises audience desires into areas like “educate me,” “give me perspective,” and “inspire me” — come in. It goes far beyond the traditional “update me” approach to news and those who embrace it have seen tangible results.

“Too often, we’re just giving people the who, why, how … and we’re not inspiring them, we’re not giving them context, we’re not giving them the information they need to really understand why they should care about this news,” Nash noted.  Shifting to the guiding question of  “Why should I care?” — and then answering it — builds trust and long-term engagement.

She also spotlighted the rise of content creators as a wake-up call. These individuals often command larger audiences than legacy media and excel at two-way communication. Nash urged newsrooms to learn from their formats —  i.e., short-form video, newsletters, Threads — and their relational approach.

“With legacy media, too often we’ve just had this one-way conversation,” she said. “How do we create more of a two-way conversation?”

2. They integrate and use data

The strategic use of data — not just collecting it, but integrating it meaningfully into newsroom operations — is also critical.

Nash referenced her recent INMA report Beyond the Dashboard: 14 Case Studies in Newsroom Metrics. One key findings is that iInnovative newsrooms are moving past vanity metrics like pageviews and focusing on indicators of loyalty and engagement: return visits, time spent, and bounce rates.

There’s also a greater focus on how much the content is being read: “We talked to one newsroom that said [they] don’t even count something as a pageview unless the person has been on it for 15 seconds,” she said. This approach prevents data overload and ensures that insights lead to action. Nash also highlighted the value of open conversations about data, where metrics are not just displayed but discussed, tied to business outcomes, and used to inform editorial decisions.

“If you’re only putting a bunch of metrics out there, it’s not helping anyone,” she explained.

“It’s not enough to have data, you really need to think about how that data is disseminated and how you’re talking about it.”

3. They have a clear editorial strategy

With the decline of search and social traffic—and the rise of AI—Nash’s third insight urged newsrooms to rethink their editorial strategies. The mantra here is “fewer, better stories”; instead of chasing every trending topic, transformative newsrooms focus on unique, high-value content that differentiates them from competitors.

Nash criticised the tendency to rely on commodity content, which floods the digital space with reporting that basically rehashes the same stories: “If everyone is reporting on something, why are they going to come to you for that particular news?”

She encouraged media organisations to ask: “What can we do that no one else can do so that we can attract more readers to our content?” This strategic narrowing of focus not only improves quality but also strengthens brand identity and reader loyalty.

This insight also ties back to user needs—by understanding what audiences truly value, newsrooms can prioritize stories that resonate, inform, and inspire rather than simply update.

4. They smartly use technology and AI

Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence plays a starring role in transformation. The secret to success is strategic, carefully thought-out implementation, including the formation of AI task forces and incubation teams that experiment with new technologies before scaling them across the newsroom.

Today, AI is most effective in workflow automation. Newsrooms that still have print products use it to design the newspaper, and it’s also used for transcription services, multilingual tagging, and copy editing. While AI’s role in data analysis remains limited due to accuracy concerns, “what AI is really good for right now is being able to do some of these tasks that can free up our staffs to be doing other things.”

AI also offers potential for personalization, such as dynamic homepages and tailored newsletters. It can be used to summarise content, although it’s less reliable for writing entire stories. Regardless of where they’re at on their journey, Nash emphasised that newsrooms must not shy away from AI: “It’s really important that newsrooms think about where they are with AI and where they need to go, so we don’t get left behind in terms of an understanding of how technology is changing our businesses.”

5. They have leaders who drive change

The final and perhaps most crucial insight centred on leadership. Nash emphasised that newsroom transformation hinges on leaders who can guide their teams through constant change with clarity, empathy, and purpose.

“The number one question that I get in the Newsroom Transformation Initiative is, ‘how do I get my newsroom to do this thing that they don’t want to do?’ That newsroom resistance and working newsrooms through change is really important,” she said.

“The ones that do it well are embracing transparency and experimentation. They’re breaking down silos to collaborate across, and they’re investing in training and some of the cultural change needed.”

Nash referenced a podcast episode titled How to Lead Through Chaos, which resonated with her own experiences. The takeaway? People are more motivated when they find their work meaningful.

She also introduced the concept of subtraction, or eliminating low-value tasks to make room for deep, impactful work. In an industry notorious for doing “more with less,” Nash urged leaders to truly commit to doing fewer things better. This requires hard decisions, but it empowers teams to focus on what matters most.

Soft skills like empathy and communication, she argued, are not optional; they’re essential. Leaders must create environments where change feels like evolution, not disruption, and where every team member understands their role in the newsroom’s future.

Leaning into change

Nash challenged the audience to think about their newsroom priorities for 2026.

“How are we going to approach AI strategically? How are we going to put audience at the centre of what we do? How are we going to think about the ways our journalism is produced and distributed differently?” she asked.

“And how are we going to think about leading our newsrooms through this constant change?”

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