WSJ Head of Digital Taneth Evans on The Future of Personalization

The news industry often equates personalization with algorithms that dictate what users see. But according to The Wall Street Journal’s Head of Digital Taneth Evans, it pays off to prioritize editorial authority over filter bubbles. Evans recently shared her perspective at a Press Gazette Media Strategy Network USA panel called “Web 3.0 and The Future of Media,” where she discussed the nuances of audience engagement in the AI era. During the discussion, Evans suggested that the industry-standard definition of “hyper-personalization” is often at odds with what audiences actually want. “Our users say ‘I pay for the Wall Street Journal to tell me what’s important that day’. And so it’s important to us that we retain that kind of curated editorial experience and editorial homepage.” Alvar P. for Press Gazette alvar p. for press gazette Evans explained that the future lies not on personalization of topic, but personalization of format and storytelling. She noted that this could involve tailoring content to readers in the format they prefer to consume, whether that is audio, video, or text. She also highlighted ongoing efforts to deepen the relationship between the Journal and its audience. “We’ve done a lot of work over the past couple of years on making sure people know why they should come to us, making sure people know who our columnists and who our experts are, and why they should trust them.” Media Strategy Network USA included ten roundtable discussions featuring more than 100 publishers, technology providers, and media experts. Read more at Press Gazette here.

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