AOP Awards: 5 minutes with… Jacqui and Chris

AOP Awards: 5 minutes with… Jacqui and Chris

Published: 05 Feb 2026

Q: What do you see as the publishing's industry's main achievements over the past twelve months?

Jacqui: The last twelve months have seen dramatic changes to the publishing landscape. In the past, Google signposted to publisher content and publishers delivered, optimising their stories for visibility. Now Google has integrated AI and AI chatbots are increasingly answering reader queries, the search space for media owners has shrunk, with recent reports suggesting Google traffic to publishers has declined by one third globally over the past year.

But there's been a huge response by some of the biggest media organisations. Daily Mail outlined a clear ambition to deliver 1 million subscribers by 2027, while also doubling down on investment in social platforms through the launch of dmg newmedia and Creator Media, putting creators front and centre and capitalising on its extraordinary TikTok audience growth over the past few years. Last year also saw many publishers pivot to paywalled content for the first time or set out plans to increase video and audio content.

Media organisations are accustomed to constant change, but I'm still struck by how rapidly the industry adapts and responds.

Chris: The past twelve months have arguably been some of the toughest the digital publishing industry has faced, which makes its achievements even more significant. Amid declining referral traffic, platform volatility, and the rapid rise of AI-driven search, publishers have shown real resilience by adapting their strategies rather than standing still.

One notable achievement has been a renewed emphasis on credibility and accountability. Bylines and identifiable authorship have become more important as trust has become harder to earn in an increasingly synthetic media landscape. That shift reinforces what remains defensible for publishers: original voices, lived experience and human-led insight.

We've also seen meaningful innovation in formats and engagement. Publishers have invested more heavily in newsletters, video, podcasts and community-led products, recognising that attention now has to be earned rather than captured passively. In many ways, pressure has driven creativity. Some of the most compelling, award-worthy strategies will have emerged precisely because publishers have had to work harder to curate, contextualise and add value for their audiences.

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