January 26, 2026  |  SIGN UP

 
Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde
DIGIDAY, MANAGING EDITOR

As consumers chase more and more personalized environments — how are publishers weighing readers’ desires and their inherent responsibility to serve readers the journalism that matters? Here’s where AI comes in.

Several publishers are dreaming up ways to make their sites dynamic enough to bend with readers’ interests. My question is: what slips through the cracks? We all know readers don’t always engage with the most impactful reporting — the stuff that takes the longest to report, that asks the hard questions. What then?

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Top stories

 
 

GENERATIVE AI

Bold Call: AI will rewrite publishers’ websites in 2026

This year, publishers will use AI to transform static sites into dynamic, personalized and reader-driven experiences.

STRATEGIZING FOR THE FUTURE

Forbes tests prediction platform as engagement strategies move past search 

Instead of letting users bet real money on news, Forbes is gamifying predictions to boost onsite engagement, and foster reader loyalty as it shifts away from relying on traffic.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ZETA GLOBAL

Why community is key to personalization and revenue growth in 2026

Publishers are increasingly turning to community as a personalization and revenue engine. With community, publishers can deepen connections with audiences and foster long-term loyalty, while providing multiple avenues for sustained revenue.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Media Briefing: The anatomy of the publishers' SEO dilemma

As AI upends search, publishers face a choice in 2026: chase Google, feed AI, or figure out how to balance both.

A MESSAGE FROM ADSTRA

Identity is finally within reach for challenger brands

Identity tools have historically been designed for Fortune 50-scale businesses, built around complex tech stacks and managed by specialized data teams. These tools offer powerful capabilities, but they also come with big price tags and technical complexities that simply don’t align with the operational realities of leaner challenger brands.

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AI REVENUE GENERATION

The top AI platforms for publishers, ranked

Digiday’s Jessica Davies and Sara Guaglione joined the Digiday Podcast to handicap the more than a half-dozen AI platforms, from Amazon to OpenAI, that have begun doing business with publishers.

MARKETING ON PLATFORMS

TikTok moderation has pushed some news creators to the limit

TikTok news creators like Taylor Lorenz and Aaron Parnas on the platform's moderation and engagement woes, and how the new U.S. ownership could further affect that.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MEDIA

Gaming’s relevancy is established — now brands are pushing it as a marketing solution

Gaming is no longer a specialty channel. It’s a mass-reaching media environment shaped by audience choice, cross-platform fluidity and measurable business outcomes. The focus has now shifted to framing gaming as a solution to core marketing challenges.

 

Other things to know

 
 

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PADSQUAD

Why reach isn’t enough if the ad experience doesn’t make an impact

While the guiding principle in advertising has long been “the right person, the right message, the right time,” it has rarely happened in reality. The industry has refined targeting and timing, but the creative hasn’t seen the same attention. Yet, what’s the point of delivering an ad if it’s not relevant?

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM NEXXEN

Why the second wave of first-party data will encompass more than brands and agencies