Traditional journalism is losing distribution. Creators are winning it. In this hands-on workshop, participants will transform journalistic content into creator-style formats optimized for reach, trust, and platform dynamics. Drawing on real-world experience from Dieter von Holtzbrinck Medien (publisher of Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel, and Die Zeit), we will show how AI-powered workflows can turn high-quality journalism into scalable creator formats without losing credibility. Participants will analyze successful news influencers, extract repeatable patterns, and build their own format using AI tools (including secure enterprise AI and voice generation). By the end of the session, every participant will leave with a fully developed, ready-to-publish news format tailored to their audience and platform. This workshop is designed for journalists, creators, and editorial teams who want to compete in the creator economy without compromising journalistic standards. Workshop Structure (120 minutes) 0–30 min | Context, Framing, Pattern Analysis Why journalism is losing distributionAnatomy of successful news influencers (share insights of our whitepaper)Breakdown of real examplesPresent repeatable format patterns 30–60 min | Creation Sprint Participants define:audiencetopicformat conceptAI-supported ideation and structuring 60–105 min | Prototyping Vibe Coding 105–120 min | Share Results Gallery WalkPeer feedback and refinementClosing How is our session interactive?Participants actively build their own format throughout the sessionGroup work and peer feedback loopsAI-assisted co-creation with tech support (live)Real-time iteration and testingThis is a fully hands-on session, no passive listening. What will participants leave with?Each participant will leave with:A fully defined news creator formatA structured content blueprint (hook, format, distribution logic)A ready-to-use prototypeA repeatable workflow for future content creation
we detail where and how of potential product solutions to solve common challenges that news websites currently have (SEO, AI, bounce rate, reading time) using content/data APIs hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation
Most news organizations know they're losing young audiences. Few have real data on what actually brings them back. I do. Over the past year, Newsreel has been deployed in 200+ classrooms and libraries, with 41 student fellows running peer-to-peer news engagement programs across 25 universities including UNC, NYU, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, and Cambridge. Our month-one retention is 35%, which is 3-5x the news app industry average. A study of 277 Penn State students found 65% planned to keep using the platform after course requirements ended. In this workshop, I'll share the raw data behind what worked and what didn't, then participants will build their own audience strategy using the frameworks we developed. We'll work through three exercises: (1) mapping your current audience gap by analyzing who you're reaching vs. who you're missing, (2) designing an institutional distribution channel (schools, libraries, community orgs) that creates habitual use without paid acquisition, and (3) building a peer ambassador program modeled on our campus fellows playbook. This is not a panel about "reaching Gen Z." It is a working session where you leave with a concrete distribution plan built on real engagement data from real young readers.
