Odds are artificial intelligence will feature prominently in many of Nieman Lab’s predictions for journalism in the coming year. I predict that editors in newsrooms worldwide will find themselves navigating two concurrent revolutions: mobile-first and AI. Unlike previous changes the media has encountered, these transformations fundamentally affect the craft of journalism itself — specifically, how content is created and experienced.

With mobile-first comes the necessity of mobile storytelling, a method that emphasizes the seamless integration of text and visual assets in a vertical, scrolling format. This approach calls for writers to interweave their text with visuals, challenging the traditional journalistic style of uninterrupted text. Rather than directing readers to view photos or videos separately from the written narrative, mobile storytelling invites readers to experience text, photos, videos, and audio as cohesive interwoven elements that enrich the story, adding aggregated value when working together.

Simultaneously, artificial intelligence is reshaping content creation in myriad ways. AI now assists journalists with story idea generation, interview preparation, transcription, translation, and even writing. In practical terms, this is another revolution that reshapes the writing process itself. Soon, many routine stories across news departments — world and national briefs, business earnings reports, sports summaries — will be AI-generated. This evolution frees human writers to focus on what truly sets their work apart: authentic, personal voice and distinctive style. As a result, journalists will increasingly employ an “I was there” approach, embedding unique perspectives and insights into their work — their signature, or what I call the scent of the writer.

This infusion of AI-driven content will make the distinct voice of the human writer more essential than ever. As AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous, the qualities that define human writing — authenticity, emotional depth, and creative intuition — will become even more critical, ensuring that a writer’s presence is felt throughout a narrative.

As journalists adapt to these dual revolutions, they’ll find themselves conceptualizing content with a mobile-first perspective — crafting stories to flow seamlessly from small to large platforms. The human byline will also gain significance, with writers making their mark from the very first paragraph. This shift may even lead to a resurgence of first-person narratives as journalists strive to connect with readers more intimately.

Ultimately, these revolutions — mobile-first and AI — will redefine journalism at its core, empowering journalists to craft stories that are both technologically advanced and unmistakably human. Journalists will find themselves amid two revolutions that directly affect the craft of journalism.