Why publishers must embrace AI-driven video generation to stay relevant

How could we describe today’s audiences? What comes to mind is to call them mobile-first and video-obsessed. News publishers must meet their needs with engaging video content while overcoming time and cost challenges – and it’s where AI can be a real game-changer.

Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are not just growing—they’re dictating the pace of how news is shared, discovered, and consumed. TikTok alone boasts over 1 billion global users. Statista reports that global video viewers have surged to 3.3 billion, and consumer appetite for video content continues to grow. This preference reflects a broader shift in how users, especially on mobile devices, expect to consume content – fast, visually engaging, and easy to share.

For newsrooms, the stakes are clear: two-thirds of online audiences engage with short news videos weekly, longer formats attract 51% of viewers. This trend is most visible among younger demographics, who increasingly prioritize dynamic, visual content over traditional text-based reporting. What’s striking is where this engagement happens – 72% of news video consumption occurs on external platforms, compared to just 22% on publisher websites (data from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Digital Report 2024).

This shift points to a critical need for publishers: meeting audiences where they are, connecting to them, and finding a way to monetize their content.

The challenge becomes even bigger because of the new era of video platforms. Traditionally, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram were built around the social network of contacts, friends, and “liked” profiles. But now, they are more focused on recommended content that does not necessarily come from accounts users have chosen to follow.

The algorithm-driven nature of these platforms means that publishers do not have a direct relationship with readers and viewers and that algorithms – not editorial decisions – determine who sees their videos. Also, algorithms prioritize engagement metrics like watch time or shares over content quality. This pressures publishers to produce easily digestible, highly shareable videos and compete with influencers, individual creators, and non-traditional media.

Read also: Introducing AI concepts for Newsrooms

Another important thing to notice is that video consumption is no longer associated with younger audiences, as data from various sources shows it’s becoming popular across all age groups. The Reuters report indicates that TikTok and Instagram are key drivers of video consumption among younger audiences, with over 60% of its user base being Gen Z. Research shows that 18–24-year-olds are more likely to choose any social or video platform as their main source of news.

Interestingly, older groups are not far behind. While traditional news websites remain popular among those 55 and older (32% cite it as their main platform), a significant portion still consumes video news on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. For example, 60% of those aged 55+ are turning to video across various platforms, demonstrating that video’s appeal is steadily expanding beyond its younger base.

Publishers know well that they must adjust their offering to the demands of immersive, vertical, mobile-optimized experiences seen on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Yet, how do you do it with limited budgets, time, and the availability of journalists?

It’s no secret that video production and edition are time- and cost-consuming. A journalist in a newsroom typically needs at least 1.5 hours to produce a 3-minute video, provided they have access to the right video material and pictures. The typical production process still involves a person who edits the video using editing software, exports it to the CMS, and adds a manually written description. Sometimes, the work is done twice to adjust the video format for various distribution platforms.

Of course, more and more publishers today experiment with AI-assisted editing tools that streamline workflows. Still, most are external solutions that speed up the editing process but are still hard to use to produce video en masse.

What if it were possible to turn all of your articles into videos instantly, in bulk, and in your own CMS?

Keep up reading if you want to learn how.

We have created a tool called AIvid, designed to help publishers reach new audiences, optimize mobile offerings, and distribute content in new ways. With AIVid, journalists can turn articles into videos – directly in the CMS, simply by pasting a link to the article or introducing a simple prompt (no advanced prompting skills needed!).

AIvid enables your team to produce multiple videos simultaneously and receive mp4 files optimized for various platforms. It’s more than just “adding a video” to your article – it’s about transforming it into a bite-sized video, including all the necessary information.

Here’s how it works:

• A journalist chooses an article in your CMS.
• Our engine generates videos from the text of a selected article using pictures and video samples from your database. The engine ensures compliance with copyright and any publishing restrictions of the input material.
• You get a polished video tailored to your needs and distribution platforms within minutes.
• The final effect is fully controlled by the journalist, who can edit the video according to needs and requirements.

We calculated that the cost of one video produced with AIvid equals 3$ . There is no limit to simultaneous video generation. That means you could turn your entire article dataset into videos within several days.

Of course, we know it’s not a solution that always fits your needs, and sometimes, you might want a human touch in video materials. Luckily, this is also possible – your journalists will have full control over the final video product, and there’s always a possibility to edit the material manually.

Should you have concerns about the material quality – we are aware that AIvid is best for producing video news at scale; it will not replace editors who meticulously prepare exclusive journalistic features or longer auditions. The output quality will depend on the input quality of the resources in your database or DAM. But as long as you want to provide your audience with digestible information in the video format, it might be just the solution you’re looking for.

What’s also important, we provide our assistance during the implementation, adjusting AIvid to your CMS (and no CMS will be too old or too complicated to get integrated with AIvid).

If you’re interested in testing AIVid in your newsroom or learning more about the tool – contact us, and we’ll be happy to provide you with all the details.