A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the Nieman Lab have issued their thoughts and predictions for 2026, and they have both validated our predictionss about how AI will impact journalism, including our basic premise that “A top media story will be…the media.”

According to an article, “Publishers prepare to be ‘squeezed’ by AI and creators in 2026,” by the excellent Nieman Lab, “The Reuters Institute found confidence in the prospects for journalism is at an all-time low,” which is something we didn’t cite but it makes sense.

According to respondents of the Reuters survey, 39% feel they will lose top editorial talent to the “creator ecosystem.” We said, “In 2026, expect many reporters and authors to publish an e-newsletter—because they’ve been told this is how to strengthen and monetize reader relationships.”

We noted that consumers are more likely to get news from influencers/creators than from traditional news sources–even though they feel influencers are less reliable–because consumers feel influencers are more “authentic.” According to Reuters, 59% of respondents plan to partner with creators to distribute content and 31% plan to hire creators to run their social media accounts. If you’re looking to name that, that’s the “If You Can’t Beat Them, Coopt Them” strategy.

Reuters identified the following as key terms to know:

• Vibe Coding: “The practice of writing code, making web pages, or creating apps, by just telling an AI program what you want. Great for prototyping or personal projects.”
• Digital provenance: “The ability to verify the origin and history of digital media in an AI-infused world where sophisticated deep-fakes are becoming more common.” This is part of an attempt to be more authentic.
• AEO: “Describes ways in which content providers can get better visibility within AI chatbots and other AI driven interfaces. See also GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation).”
• Liquid content: “Content or stories that are not static but adapt in real time based on the viewer’s context, location, time, or interaction. AI facilitates this by tailoring content to individual preferences. Requires traditional media companies to move away from authoring ‘articles’ towards more flexible atomic objects.”

We know that AEO is already important. We fear that liquid content will exacerbate polarization because it will make perspectives and facts more tailored to the reader. That’s not a good thing.

Check out Reuters’ Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2026: here.

Check out the Nieman Lab’s predictions here.