Systematic review reveals shifts in news media business models, indicating structural vulnerabilities from ad loss and platform dependency.
Key Points
To synthesize academic and industry literature on how news media business models have evolved during digital transformation, platform dependency, and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
Conducted a PRISMA-inspired systematic review and thematic synthesis of literature published primarily between 2014 and 2026.
Screened and included 48 sources, comprising peer-reviewed communication scholarship and industry reports from sources such as Reuters Institute, Pew Research Center, Statistics Canada, and Press Gazette.
Identified five core themes: structural collapse of advertising revenues, plateauing subscription models, algorithmic platform risks, newsroom employment contraction, and generative AI integration.
Developed a five-stage conceptual framework tracking news evolution from print-centric formats to digitization, platformization, reader revenue, and AI-augmented operations.