David Hurley explores the challenges of legacy media in the digital age and the evolving role of journalism in the digital age.
Students at the University of Limerick (UL) had the opportunity to engage with David Hurley from Iconic Management in a discussion on the evolution of journalism in the digital age. Hurley’s talk, introduced by a diverse group of Irish fourth-year journalism students, alongside two Swedish students and one from Denmark, highlighted the challenges facing both legacy and new media, the impact of technology, and the issue of misinformation.
Shifting News Consumption Habits
Before Hurley’s presentation, the class participated in a Q&A session to discuss their news consumption habits. Questions included whether they consumed news online, which platforms they used, whether they still read print media, and whether they trusted news from legacy outlets. The discussion underscored a major shift toward digital news consumption, with social media playing a significant role.
The Challenges of Legacy vs. Digital-First Journalism
Hurley opened his talk by addressing the key differences between new and legacy media, outlining challenges such as misinformation, the dominance of tech giants, and the struggle to monetize digital content. He stressed the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity, stating: “Whatever platform you are writing for, accuracy and facts are the priority. Accuracy trumps everything.”
A significant portion of the discussion revolved around the transition to digital-first strategies. Hurley detailed how Iconic Media has tackled these challenges, particularly in adapting newsroom culture. “One of the big challenges that I’ve seen personally is changing the culture within newsrooms; you have to be thinking digitally, thinking online,” he explained. He also emphasized the role of data and analytics in driving engagement, showing graphs that demonstrated how news consumption fluctuates depending on the time of day, the country, and the device used.
Government Support for Journalism and the Fight Against Misinformation
The conversation also touched on government initiatives to support journalism, including a new €6 million funding scheme to finance state-funded journalists. This, according to Hurley, highlights the growing recognition of quality journalism’s importance in combating misinformation: “I think there is a realization that fake news is a thing now. There is an appreciation of reliable news, and that can be seen in the government funding to promote this.”
Hurley was asked about the fine line between catering to audience interests and maintaining journalistic integrity. “His response was that it is a ‘balancing act’, “It is something that we are constantly aware of. All you can do is make the best decision you can think of at the time. We’re never going to not cover an important news story.”
When questioned about the future of journalism and AI’s role, Hurley said: “It’s too early to speculate about AI.” However, he reaffirmed his belief in the importance of quality journalism, regardless of the platform: “Good quality journalism is platform neutral. That will go everywhere.”
The session concluded with an acknowledgement of the evolving landscape of journalism. As Hurley confidently put it, “Journalists are journalists; if you’re not curious, you’re not a journalist.” The talk left students with a greater understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing media environment.