On 30 September 2025, Mishcon hosted a panel discussion on how we create, consume and share news in our digital landscape. Key themes emerged from the journalism, communications, and technology perspectives:
From shared facts to personalised feeds: The challenge of information overload
We asked attendees: "How do you get your news?". It used to be that communal television broadcasts and newspaper front pages facilitated an imperfect but genuine consensus on daily events. Today's audiences consume curated newsletters, opinionated commentary and algorithmically tailored social media, mixing news with gaming videos, beauty tutorials and memes. Anthony Morris from Panterra discussed the concept of a 'news diet'. Our 2025 menu is abundant and empowering but paralysing - audiences struggle with trust, experience increased anxiety and feel less satisfied as they drift between sources.
Authenticity and credibility: Crisis or opportunity?
Social media-based news platforms are attracting more investment, while traditional outlets train in content creation skills to catch up. Our panellists, including freelance journalist Lara Olszowska, challenged preconceptions around influencer journalism compared to traditional newsrooms: to maintain trust, influencers must be as rigorous in their fact-checking. You can be fair, balanced and opinionated at the same time. The discussion noted changing trust patterns reflecting the growing value of personality-led content, where audiences connect with individual, authentic voices over institutional authority.
Artificial intelligence: Double-edged impact
As AI enables fake photographs, cloned voices, and machine-generated headlines, distinguishing authentic from fabricated material becomes harder. Modern media consumers regularly ask: "Can I believe this?". The panel recognised that media literacy has become as fundamental as traditional literacy. News organisations are responding with 'process journalism' i.e. publishing what they know as they discover it, where demonstrating methodology and sources becomes as important as the content.
Despite AI risks, opportunities exist. One panellist uses AI-powered technology to empower news content creators. Emeric Bernard Jones, Mishcon's Cyber specialist, adopts AI tools for more efficient investigations.
Navigating the new reality
We concluded by emphasising the need for a reality check. These changes are not "the future"; they are happening now, and the trends are clear.
In an ever more fragmented landscape, accountability is key. Individuals need greater awareness of how algorithms and biases shape information consumption. Institutions must adapt to sustainable models while preserving transparency and democratic functions.
Reputation protection
The evolution of technological and social change is reshaping not just the news but every aspect of our lives. With anyone online able to create and share content in an instant our reputation practice is evolving at pace. We are navigating a landscape filled with AI-generated content, fake news and the fallout from leaked or hacked private information - helping clients with urgent, novel and often complex challenges.
If you'd like to continue the conversation or make an enquiry, please find out more about Mishcon's Reputation Protection team here.