By Akpa Evelyn Ogbene
For decades, the byline of a journalist determined how large the pay is, but in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) where 80% of the job can be done within minutes, the need for monetising journalism has become imperative.
On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, senior editors, publishers, media executives and industry leaders in finance as well as development communications converged at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), with support from the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID), to draw attention to the need for journalists to go beyond selling stories to generating income.
*Journalism Is Under Pressure – PAU*
Speaking in her welcome address on the theme, “Beyond the Byline: Monetising Journalism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the Head of Communications at PAU, Dr. Temitope Falade, said people can now do a lot without necessarily being professionals by creating appealing content.
She said the media roundtable was created as a platform for open and informed dialogue about the future of media.
“Through this roundtable, we hope to contribute to a media industry that is professional, innovative, ethically grounded and financially sustainable,” she said.
According to Falade, journalism continues to play a pivotal role in society because “it informs the public, holds institutions accountable, shapes public interactions and provides the credible information citizens need to make decisions,” but she stressed that the business model that allows the profession to thrive is “under considerable pressure.”
She pointed out that traditional advertising has declined as audiences have moved to digital platforms.
“Consumer habits are changing and many people expect to access their news without paying for it. At the same time, social media content creators and Artificial Intelligence are changing how information is produced, distributed and consumed,” she said.
In addition, she said media organisations are no longer competing with one another but with tech companies, influencers and an almost endless stream of digital content for audience attention.
The PAU Head of Communication noted that the challenge also creates opportunities, as many media organisations can now develop products, reach specialised audiences, build stronger communities, make better use of data and technology, and create partnerships that deliver value.
“The question is how to pursue these opportunities without sacrificing credibility, editorial independence or public trust?” she asked.
*From Decade to Volatility – Keynote Speaker*
To answer that, the keynote speaker, Dr. Temitayo Fagbule, Bureau Chief, West Africa at CNBC Africa, pointed out that “we have moved from flux to volatility.”
Using a chat box illustration, he affirmed that the use of trust in AI chat box for news is rising.
“There is a keen interest in news using chat box,” he said.
He corroborated Falade, stating that about 80 percent of revenue in media houses comes from advertising, emphasising that people respond to incentives.
“If you give them more of a reason to do something, they’ll do more,” he said.
In Fagbule’s opinion, we moved from flux to volatility not because people are using AI for news but “because there are so many things happening at the same time across time zones that we have access to because of technology, that we are time-poor and we need news and want to stay up to date.”
In his view, since there is an overload of information and journalists need to meet up, that is the reason AI chatbox has become a go-to option.
The negative implication, he said, is that since access to content has become easy, advertisers like Google use the model to draw attention to their own platforms.
“The advertising income is way slow because of AI, since where content is consumed is where money is made,” he said.
*Panel: AI Has Killed Pageview Journalism*
The media roundtable was anchored by Onyinyechi Aderigbigbe. It featured a panel session that was carefully and insightfully moderated by a development communication expert and Senior Lecturer in the School of Media and Communication, PAU, Dr. Margareth Oforboche Agada-Mba.
The panelists included Rosemary Egbanor Afolahan, Market Strategist at News Central; Dr. Desmond Moru, Acting Head of Department (Computer Science), PAU; Samson Folarin, award-winning investigative journalist at Punch Newspaper; and Wale Olajubu, Executive Director of the Health Business Academy, Africa.
Their contributions aligned with Fagbule’s view that people no longer seek traditional forms of journalism but creators.
Since AI has killed pageview journalism, the answer is not to compete with AI on speed, but how to monetise what AI cannot do.
The panelists advised journalists to move beyond selling stories and use AI to transcribe, follow up with in-depth questions, find simpler words to communicate with the audience, and use explainers and specialised expertise.
They also urged journalists to build media brands by introducing capacity-building projects that are billable.
Other recommendations include focusing on specialised areas such as Nigerian business and finance, politics and public policy, technology and AI, investigative journalism, entertainment, sports, and local/community news, because it is easier to monetise a focused audience than a general audience.
They further advised journalists to monetise their audience directly through paid newsletters offering exclusive investigations, analysis and industry briefings, and through memberships where subscribers pay monthly for premium content.
Although AI tools generate content easily, they can be used to summarise, because people still rely on journalists for facts. However, for efficiency and sustainability, journalists can leverage AI tools like dabawa, chat gpt, copilot and others to transcribe content and extract claims to harmonise things.
