TVNewsCheck's NewsTECHForum 2026 to focus on story-first AI and streaming workflows

News organizations are currently moving from experimental AI use to full-scale infrastructure integration to maintain market share. This shift from 'rundown-focused' to 'story-centric' workflows is essential as fragmentation forces news brands to compete directly with creators on mobile and streaming platforms. Efficiently scaling vertical video and utilizing real-time data will separate profitable entities from those burdened by legacy technical debt. Watch for specific newsroom announcements regarding the appointment of dedicated AI editorial leads following the event.

The transition to vertical video and story-centric models arrives as 9:16 format officially becomes an industry standard in 2026. Per RedShark News (June 2026), major streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock have recently launched vertical discovery feeds to capture engagement on mobile devices. This trend has moved into professional production hardware, with cameras like the Bosma VEGA H2 now offering physical sensor rotation for high-resolution vertical capture. This shift is commercially driven; Vitrina AI reported in July 2026 that vertical video ad spend reached $85 billion globally in 2025, with vertical format CPMs often exceeding $20 in premium categories.

While technology advances, newsrooms face internal demographic and cultural hurdles. A July 2026 study by FT Strategies and WAN-IFRA found that 52% of global newsroom leaders identify cultural resistance as the primary barrier to AI adoption. Despite this, roughly 79% of newsrooms now prioritize short-form video to reach younger audiences. According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (January 2026), 76% of news executives are responding to the 'creator wave' by encouraging their own journalists to adopt creator-like personas, a move intended to increase relevance on highly personal streaming and social feeds.

Operational efficiency is increasingly tied to the 'basics' of streaming infrastructure as margins tighten. Per Broadpeak (February 2026), the market is moving past the high-growth 'subscriber era' into a sustainability phase where margins matter more than raw expansion. News organizations are consequently prioritizing EPG improvements and high-speed distribution to manage breaking news spikes. These operational refinements are viewed by analysts as the only way for traditional news brands to compete effectively in an ecosystem where global linear TV ad spend has dropped more than 50% in real terms over the last decade.