Why we need more ‘techies’ in our newsrooms

From the invention of the printing press to the rise of broadcast media, every major shift in communication technology has reshaped how news is produced, distributed, and consumed. Journalism has survived for centuries not because it resisted change, but because it adapted to it.

Each phase of journalism’s evolution, shaped by wider social changes such as industrialisation, urbanisation, and mass education, brought new formats, audiences, and business models. When telegraph and photography appeared, news organisations were quick to adopt them. Speed and visual evidence became central to journalism. Later, radio and television transformed news into a real-time experience.

However, as these technology companies like Facebook and Google captured the advertising market that once sustained legacy media, news outlets became dependent on platform algorithms for visibility, audience reach, and income. Headlines began to chase clicks, content formats shifted towards virality, and editorial decisions began being shaped by content algorithms rather than newsroom judgement.

Artificial intelligence has intensified this crisis. AI systems are now crawling with news content, summarising and redistributing it without compensation to media companies. This has further weakened the link between journalism and revenue. For many newsrooms, it feels like the final blow to an already fragile business model.

In this context, survival demands a new path. News organisations now cannot afford to treat technology as a fringe factor. Yet in Bangladesh, most media outlets have not invested seriously in experimenting with new products, formats, or technologies. As a result, a strong and paying reader-base never developed here. News has long been perceived as a free good. Audiences are willing to pay for data, cable connections, or devices, but not for journalism.

This mindset is further reinforced by the structure of the media industry. Many outlets are subsidised by parent businesses and are not expected to be financially independent. Profit orientation, innovation, and long-term sustainability often take a back seat. Only a few top outlets actively explore new models, while the rest continue with business as usual.

This is precisely why newsrooms need technologists, or “techies.” Editors, reporters, and producers alone cannot solve today’s structural challenges. Newsrooms also need data analysts, developers, designers, and AI specialists who can help build new products and revenue streams.

Around the world, media outlets are already moving in this direction. A clear example is Kontinentalist, a data-driven media startup in Singapore. Alongside publishing in-depth, data-based stories with long-form journalists, it generates income by training organisations in data visualisation and building interactive content for partner organisations. Journalism remains central, but technology enables diversification. Established public broadcasters are also investing heavily in technology. Munich-based radio and television broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, for instance, uses artificial intelligence to moderate audience comments and understand public demand.

Across global newsrooms, AI is being tested for tasks such as news alerts, verification support, and workflow efficiency, always with human editorial oversight. Geographic Information System (GIS) experts work on cartography and spatial reporting. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) designers build news apps and interactive experiences. Web developers create “scrollytelling” projects that combine narrative storytelling with code. AI specialists explore ways to improve newsroom productivity without compromising editorial values.

Of course, such investments are difficult, especially for resource-constrained newsrooms. There is no guarantee that every experiment will succeed. However, refusing to experiment is far riskier. Bringing technologists into newsrooms can introduce new ways of thinking, encourage collaboration, and slowly build a culture of innovation within the Bangladeshi media ecosystem.

A practical challenge remains: how can news organisations attract skilled technologists when large tech companies offer better pay and prestige? Universities can bridge this gap by partnering their engineering or computer science wings with media outlets. Workshops, joint projects, internships, and bootcamps could expose students to real newsroom problems and demonstrate the potential social impact of their skills.

Another possible source of support can be media development funding. For years, NGOs and international organisations have funded training in basic reporting skills. Redirecting some of this support towards technology-focused capacities such as data journalism, verification tools, or newsroom automation could be a more forward-looking approach. This would not replace traditional journalism training, but complement it.

Ultimately, what is needed is collaboration. Media outlets, universities, and media development organisations must work together to modernise journalism in Bangladesh. Shared labs, joint fellowships, and collaborative innovation projects could reduce risk while building collective capacity.

Media history shows that those who fail to adapt eventually fade away. Bangladesh’s once-popular FM radio stations are a reminder of what happens when formats and business models remain static. So, spending to hire “techies” is an  investment. If a newsroom wants to remain relevant, independent, and sustainable, technology must move from its margins to the centre of its journalistic practices.

Usama Rafid is a lecturer of media studies and journalism at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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