Broadcast newsrooms across Europe and beyond are undergoing a transformation like no other, according to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which has described the pace and impact of artificial intelligence over the past 10 months as nothing short of “astounding.”
The EBU’s News Report 2025, titled Leading Newsrooms in the Age of Generative AI, offers a deep and practical dive into how news organisations are navigating the most disruptive technological shift in a generation. Through interviews with 20 media leaders, academics, and case studies from global outlets, the report outlines the evolving strategies, challenges, and responsibilities facing journalists in a post-AI media ecosystem.
Dr Alexandra Borchardt, the lead author of the report, doesn’t mince words about the scale of the shift. “As the technology races ahead, there’s a mismatch with media organisations right now as they embrace some AI solutions as helpful tools while staying wary about the implications for accuracy, integrity, public trust and the need to stay visible and legitimate in a flood of AI-generated content,” she states.
Newsrooms, long familiar with the need to adapt, now face a more profound reckoning: how to remain relevant, trusted, and financially viable in a world where content can be generated at scale by machines — and where misinformation flows just as easily as verified facts.
The report underscores that there is no turning back. AI has already embedded itself into the workflows of leading broadcasters, from automated transcription and video editing to personalised content recommendations and real-time analytics. The new task is to lead this change intentionally, responsibly, and with clarity.
To that end, the EBU offers a checklist for newsroom leaders that includes defining their journalism mission, developing platform and distribution strategies, and striking a critical balance between investing in editorial talent and technical expertise. The goal is to sharpen focus on storytelling, audience connection, and data stewardship, all while embracing AI in ways that enhance rather than dilute journalistic quality.
Liz Corbin, Director of News at the EBU, summed up the challenge faced by editors and managers: “As a newsroom leader, there is nothing more daunting in this age of generative AI than the need to be at the cutting edge of technology while also being responsible for protecting the integrity of our journalism.”
Yet the report is not a call for panic—it’s a call for leadership. Corbin emphasises that the future of journalism lies in doing what AI cannot: “For journalism to thrive, we must add value with brilliant storytelling, uniquely human voices, constant accountability and community connections as trusted partners of the audiences we serve.”
That “human voice” remains central to public trust, which the report identifies as one of the most endangered assets in this new information age. As generative AI floods platforms with synthetic media, the visibility and legitimacy of traditional news brands are under pressure like never before. Audiences are fragmented. Attention spans are short. And the competition isn’t just rival outlets—it’s algorithms.
Eric Scherer, Chair of the EBU News Committee and Director of News MediaLab at France Télévisions, captures the stakes in the report’s foreword: “We’re witnessing not only a technological revolution – the most powerful in our history – but also a milestone in the history of humanity… beware of the elephant in the room: the loss of human control.”
As the AI tide continues to rise, the EBU’s message is clear: newsrooms must not only adapt—they must lead. With a combination of editorial conviction, technological agility, and community engagement, broadcasters have a chance to redefine what trustworthy journalism looks like in the age of automation.
