Where am AI?

Editor's review of the year

Wasn't this supposed to be the year that AI changed everything?

If anything, 2023 seemed to be a year in which the industry was defined by the ongoing messiness of humankind:

• Audio: a good old-fashioned radio talent move was the stand-out story of the year —?Read more in our review of audio
• Out-of-home: Revenues returned to pre-pandemic levels this year as people realised they actually quite like going outside and doing things —?Read more in our review of OOH
• Social media: the biggest story has featured one man's bizarre and catastrophic approach to running Twitter, while a legend of the news industry appears to have finally bowed out — Read more in our review of social and publishing
• TV: audiences continue to migrate to streaming and short-form video, although the streaming giants have had mixed success developing advertising-funded options —?Read more in our review of TV

However, as I said in our review of the year podcast episode this week, I do happen to think AI has been the big 'thing' this year when you look across what has happened across the industry this year.?

The fact that we're so much more aware of the possibilities and current limitations of generative AI, the tough questions we're having to ask about how content creators protect their IP when it can be ripped off and used for new content almost instantly, or how it has apparently helped Meta to have an astonishingly successful year... AI is already having a huge impact.

And yet I can't get excited about it. What excites me instead is the team of journalists, conference producers and commercial team that have worked so hard to help us grow significantly this year despite a tough market.?

Thank you readers, listeners and viewers for all your support and advice this year as we continue building?The Media Leader into the trade publication your industry deserves: quality analysis, thought-provoking commentary, led by independent journalism guided by positive values.

Omar Oakes is editor-in-chief of?The Media Leader and leads on our TV coverage.

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THE TOP 10 OF 2023

Our most-read articles on the site over the last 348 days...

Hear, hear, for 50 years

Ella's story of the year

My favourite story of the year has been the 50th anniversary of commercial radio. Who knew that a broadcast on the morning of Monday, 8 October 1973 could start something so big?

Selfishly it gave me a chance to dive in to what has changed since then and look at where radio, or as we may call it now audio to include both music and podcasts, is headed.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with my stories this year!

Ella Sagar reports on audio and out-of-home for?The Media Leader. Read more by Ella.

Reaching audiences differently

Jack's story of the year?

There were some absolutely fantastic stories, features, and op-eds published this year, and a special shout-out must go to all the excellent interviews featured on The Media Leader Podcast.

We published 51 episodes of podcast in 2023, including some absolutely fantastic interviews with the likes of Sir John Hegarty , Vivendi and Havas' Yannick Bolloré , effectiveness expert Peter Field , TikTok's Kris Boger , Google's Matt Brittin , Ozone's Damon Reeve , Good-Loop's Amy Williams , YouTube's Kevin Allocca , attention experts Karen Nelson-Field PhD and Mike Follett , and many, many more. If you find yourself bored over the holidays, do go back and give those episodes a listen!?

But that isn't exactly a single favourite story of the year, now is it? If I had to pick one I enjoyed writing most, it would be my interview with Mail Metro Media's Dominic Williams this past summer.

Yes, Williams admitted Brexit has had an adverse impact on business — ironic given the Mail's strong pro-Brexit stance — but he also laid out in candid terms the opportunities and challenges facing publishers in what has become a tumultuous year for digital media.

As Williams said, publishers care increasingly about podcast and video (us included), and that diversified revenue and increased audience scale will be increasingly important for newsbrands looking to survive and thrive in 2024.

Jack Benjamin reports on social media and publishing for?The Media Leader. Read more by Jack.