The media may have changed over the past 15 years, but journalists must always be nosey

Head of multimedia Enas Refaei discusses the emergence of short-form videos and reveals why she is nice to her Alexa

Head of Multimedia Enas Refaei in The National's podcast studio with producer Arthur Pereira. Victor Besa / The National

I have always felt journalism was fuelled by people with an insatiable appetite for information. As a journalist, I am, to put it bluntly, nosey.

As we reflect on the past 15 years of The National, and how the media landscape has morphed, we can probably all agree there has never been a better time to be nosey.

News has undergone a radical transformation over those 15 years. The widespread adoption of mobile devices and the internet has fundamentally changed how people consume media. Here at The National, we have been working to adapt to the environment we now find ourselves in, all while keeping the integrity of our brand.

One of the biggest changes has been the introduction of video content, particularly short-form video, which has exploded in popularity. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and Snapchat have pushed the growth in short, engaging videos, becoming a staple of audience engagement. Challenges have popped up with this rapidly changing environment.

In a recent talk I attended, a successful TikToker said “be where your audience is”. This might sound simple, but in reality it means being everywhere all at once, and one big challenge is keeping our brand strong while maintaining authenticity to the platform we are posting on.

In the multimedia department, we are trying to focus more on creating vertical formats that suit smartphones, and trying to talk to our audiences in a style that suits the platform they are on. But we also want to make beautiful content tackling subjects that aren’t explainable in a 30-second clip. Getting through these challenges feels like an uphill battle, and unfortunately the fight to stay ahead isn’t over. We are currently facing another monumental change in our industry, AI.

At this point I would like to confess that most of this article you have read was written using AI. I am a firm believer in accepting change but ChatGPT is making even me quiver. Writing is key to our existence, by forming and communicating ideas we grow as a society.

So what challenges will we face if more of us outsource our writing to AI, and will video eventually be affected by this new technology? Will we see complete movies and books composed by a digital overlord? I think for now, I will stick to my tried and tested reaction and continue trying to adopt and embrace. In the meantime I will be extra polite to my Alexa just in case they do take over.