Journalists never cover politics, the economy, or lifestyle trends based solely on their own observations. They turn to trusted sources who can provide the bigger context behind a breaking story.
Business and technology leaders within media organizations need the same outside perspective to make sense of new revenue models, shifts in distribution, or the impact of AI. It’s too easy to get so heads-down about your own unique business needs that you overlook important digital publishing trends as they emerge.
That’s why many publishers rely on WordPress VIP and Fueled Digital not merely as sources of innovative technologies, but expert insight.
A research-backed guide for creating a media and publishing strategy
In our new, co-authored whitepaper, we’re breaking down everything you need to develop a media and publishing strategy that can adapt to the sector’s current disruptions. This includes the fragmentation of search amid the rise of AI answer engines, privacy and governance concerns, and the demand for more scalable content operations.
Downloading the report will help you answer questions you and your team might be asking, like:
1. How are we evolving our revenue mix so that, within the next 3–5 years, no single stream (including traditional display and pre‑roll advertising) accounts for more than X% of total revenue?
Most publishers understand that subscriptions, memberships, ecommerce, events, and licensing will all become part of their monetization mix. We suggest a way forward for diversification that lets you support experimentation, segmentation, and performance measurement across all those revenue streams and more.
2. As third‑party identifiers disappear and privacy expectations rise, how can we shift our audience relationships to direct, first‑party data?
Over-reliance on rented audiences from platforms and other intermediaries has been a problem for some time, but we’re now reaching a tipping point. We’re offering ways to understand audience behavior, preferences, and engagement, and boost both personalization and monetization.
3. How is AI changing the way content moves within our media organization from idea to audience?
Responsibly and effectively using AI starts with identifying where it already exists in your content workflow, and where it’s going. Planning, creation, editing, packaging, distribution, discovery — nothing will be left untouched.
That makes it vital to begin strengthening content structure and layering on clearer governance. We not only talk about that, but also how to do it with systems designed for reuse and orchestration vs. one-off publishing.
4. How can we move from treating distribution as a single funnel to designing distinct, end‑to‑end journeys that fit how people actually seek out information online?
From search and social to newsletters, apps, video, and emerging platforms, publishers are expected to be everywhere. This fragmentation exposes the limits of page-centric workflows, but our report shows how modular content can be adapted across channels without duplicative effort.
5. How are we embedding governance and compliance as proactive guardrails (rather than reactive hurdles) across content creation, distribution, and monetization?
Publishers are being pushed to modernize how content is governed and audited while maintaining speed and editorial flexibility. Our report’s framework suggests trust signals you can turn into a competitive advantage.
6. How can we make a business case for modernizing platforms and infrastructure to keep up with content velocity demands, new formats, and operational complexity?
Many publishers are moving toward cloud-native, API-driven, and composable platforms that better support scale, resilience, and long-term adaptability. Let us show you why migrating is not only necessary but achievable without causing unnecessary disruption to everyday content workflows.
Why publishing trends matter more broadly
Our research shows these digital publishing trends reinforce each other, and call for a broader transformation effort that will prepare media organizations for the future.
That said, the best practices we’re highlighting are applicable well beyond media and publishing. Any organization that relies on content at scale can learn from how publishers are modernizing structure, workflows, and platforms to operate across channels and prepare for continued change.
Taking the steps outlined in the report will put publishers on par with the largest enterprises.
Publishing often acts as an early indicator for where content operations are headed. What works at publishing scale frequently becomes the blueprint for broader digital teams.
Download the full whitepaper
The Digital Publishing Trends whitepaper explores these shifts in depth and provides practical insight for Media and Publishing teams navigating monetization, AI adoption, and platform modernization.
Shane Schick
Founder, 360 Magazine
Shane Schick is a longtime technology journalist serving business leaders ranging from CIOs and CMOs to CEOs. His work has appeared in Yahoo Finance, the Globe & Mail and many other publications. Shane is currently the founder of a customer experience design publication called 360 Magazine. He lives in Toronto.