Use Of Technologies For Better Readership

With the emergence of internet-driven online media platforms, the conventional print media has come under great strain for its very survival. As modern gadgets like laptops, tablets, and, most significantly, smart phones have changed the way we consume news, the onslaught of online media, social media networks, and YouTube saw several newspapers shutter their publications or shift to online versions to remain relevant in modern times. These days, we are incredibly lucky to get news, viewpoints, and other contents of our choice on our cellphones every minute.

People may now acquire any kind of news, or news of their interest, as they break anywhere in the world, owing to smart phones that have already taken the world by storm as the coming of sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technology is likely to alter the media sector significantly. As such, traditional media like newspapers, radio, television, and others are not immune to the influences of AI. With the rise of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, customers are now able to access news and information more easily than ever before. This has had a major influence on traditional media, notably print ones, which are straining to keep up with the quick speed of change.

Traditional media disrupted

One of the major ways that AI is disrupting traditional journalism is through the usage of language models and chatbots. Chatbots, such as powerful AI language model, ChatGPT which has around 170 million parameters to deal with, are computer software meant to simulate discussion with human users. They can be used for a variety of functions, including customer service, marketing, and content distribution. In the media sector, chatbots are being used to convey news and information to consumers in a more customised and efficient way. 

Several noted news agencies and media outlets across the globe are utilising chatbots to give news updates directly to users' smartphones. These chatbots utilise natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to identify the preferences and interests of individual users and present news stories that are personalised to their specific needs. This helps news organisations to reach a bigger audience and engage with readers in a more meaningful way.

Another way that AI is disrupting traditional media is through the employment of virtual assistants. Virtual assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant, are growing increasingly popular among customers. They may be used to perform a wide range of jobs, including answering inquiries, playing music, and managing smart home gadgets. In the media sector, virtual assistants are being utilised to convey news and information to consumers in a more conversational and engaging fashion.

One example of a traditional print media organisation successfully employing chatbots is the New York Times. In 2017, the company created a Facebook Messenger chatbot that gives tailored news updates and recommendations to its subscribers. The chatbot was developed to emulate the conversational tone of a human journalist, giving a more engaging and personalised experience for readers. By combining natural language processing and machine learning methods, the chatbot is able to understand and reply to user queries, delivering a smooth user experience.

The New York Times chatbot also includes advertising and monetisation capabilities, allowing the company to generate cash from the platform. The chatbot was able to provide customised adverts based on user interests and preferences, creating a more relevant and effective advertising experience for both advertisers and readers. Additionally, the chatbot offered users the ability to subscribe to NYT directly from the chat interface, driving subscriptions and revenue growth for the company. Besides NYT, many news organisations have incorporated chatbots into their platforms to engage with their audiences and deliver news content. Some examples include CNN, BBC and The Washington Post. 

AI is also being utilised to automate many of the jobs that are typically handled by journalists and editors. This includes tasks such as fact-checking, copyediting, and content curation. By automating these operations, news organisations are able to produce material more quickly and efficiently and reduce the chance of errors and inaccuracies.

Despite AI language models like ChatGPT taking the media world by storm, it is disheartening to see that Nepal's oldest publication house is still not bracing to integrate such models to take their full advantage so that it can remain ahead in disseminating news, views, advertisements, and other popular contents to its customers and readers.

Integration of chatbots

One of the reasons that the Gorkhapatra Corporation is held back from introducing new technology is because of its traditional manner of functioning. Despite the current management trying to integrate technology into its publication, bureaucratic hassles both at the ministerial and lower levels have stopped it from rendering its publication a vibrant modern one. It is not that the corporation lacks money, but it lacks a modern attitude to build the publication house into a modern corporate publication outlet so that it can keep pace with the changing media environment influenced by the power of AI technologies.

Here, it is imperative for the government and other authorities to allow the Gorkhapatra Corporation management to assist in modernising the publication. To attain this goal, the publication house requires capable hands, for which it must acquire numerous qualified workers. Modern readers want personalisation of news contents, which must be supplied to them every few minutes to keep them abreast of the corporation's publications.

The current management has done its utmost to modernise its publications, making pleasant modifications to the layout and contents of the broadsheet dailies Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal, the online site, and other publications. However, it is time that the management let its publications quickly soak up the new technology—AI language and other models—to make the contents of its publications vibrant, accurate, and attractive. 

Having said this, it is also true that GC publications, being a state-run enterprise, can feel secure from any rising issues, for they have to be published anyway to serve the state's aim of informing the people about the state of affairs in the nation. However, to remain relevant to changing times and to impart the best of services to people, especially its readers, the GC publications must be quick to adopt new technologies, especially the AI language models, which have truly heralded a new dawn on looking into how the world's media cater to personal requirements of readers by delivering highly suitable news and other contents to people across the globe.

(Upadhyay is former managing editor of this daily.)