Why 2025 is all about user needs

In 2025, I challenge you to send me a news user need I have yet to come across.

A year ago, I predicted the spread of user needs models in global publishing, and I stand vindicated. Across continents, newsrooms have been enthusiastically adopting their own models, leveraging AI tools to conduct relevant analysis, develop specific needs-based coverage further, and create actionable editorial insights. These advances are changing storytelling and commissioning decisions based on audience data. In fact, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism dedicated an entire chapter of its 2024 annual report on digital journalism to the user needs framework.

The four key axes of news consumption are quite clear: audiences mainly want to (a) know, (b) understand, (c) feel, and (d) do something in connection to the news. Consequently, commissioning logic evolves. Instead of one lengthy feature that might dilute various aspects and angles during editing, consider producing three shorter, more structured pieces. For instance, a “Give me perspective” story to kick off the coverage, followed by an “Inspire me” piece about the main character, and concluding with a “Help me” or “Connect me” story, ensuring your audience feels personally assisted.

Here’s why the user needs model is so central to your newsroom’s raison d’être. It transcends mere output optimization. Audience engagement has been narrowly tackled by our industry for far too long, often treated as a side initiative rather than a central purpose of journalism. Serious investments were made, but the approach remained limited. Let me tell you why.

Audience engagement is not just about cultivating your audiences, optimizing distribution, or leveraging platforms. It must be at the core of everything you do, beginning with your editorial strategy. Ultimately, you create content to engage your audience — that’s the primary goal. This perspective isn’t unique to me.

The user needs approach underscores this perfectly: satisfying user needs effectively starts with creating the right content from the outset. You must continually ask: “What’s the real reason for doing this?” I advocate for treating audience engagement as a pan-newsroom activity. One of my first recommendations to some of my Ringier Media International newsrooms was to rename the audience development team titles from “managers” to “editors.” Words matter. This change emphasizes the integration rather than separation of roles.

How often have we heard, “the editorial team and the social media team” or “the audience engagement team and the editorial team”? I’ll say it again, words matter. When we separate these functions linguistically, a disconnect ensues. Somehow tactics — albeit smart ones — overtook the strategy in our sector.

My mantra “What will happen to your audience’s lives if your media were to disappear tomorrow?” remains relevant. If your content doesn’t positively impact your audience’s lives, making you indispensable (thank you, The Athletic, for your stellar Chelsea FC coverage!), there’s no hope, AI tools or not. And while we are on a sports topic, the “Make me feel nostalgic” need is very relevant for sports and entertainment output, a subset of a Feel axis.

It’s wonderful to have specific brand needs like “Help me discover new ideas,” “Orient me,” “Help me relate,” “Bring clarity,” “Enrich my life,” “Motivate me,” “Show me the impact.” And it doesn’t matter if you call them user needs or user modes or user motivations. They all, however, align with the fundamental “know-understand-feel-do” model. The real question is: Why do your newsrooms still believe they can adequately engage your audience without meeting these foundational news needs? And why do we insist on treating audience engagement so narrowly by design?

I’ll end with a challenge: If you believe a news user need you’ve identified doesn’t fit into the “know-understand-feel-do” model, let’s discuss. Typically, I can refute such notions within minutes, but who knows, right?