The New Newsroom: Q5 Report

The New Newsroom: How the relentless rise of video must reshape journalism

Q5’s 2025 report explores how video is reshaping journalism, drawing on insights from global newsroom leaders. It examines disruption, audience shifts, and the role of AI, and shows how video strategies can drive reach, trust, and revenue through practical frameworks and ten key principles. Download the full report here.

Reading time: 6 minutes

What we learned

At Q5, we live and breathe the newsroom. Our consultants are embedded in top newsrooms in the UK, US, and Australia. By doing so, they help editors, producers, and executives manage changes in video journalism.

For this report, we tapped into that network. We spoke to senior editors, channel specialists, and leaders from across the spectrum. These range from experienced heavyweight broadcasters to nimble digital-native start-ups born out of the TikTok era.

Whilst some participants offered their insights publicly, others did so candidly behind closed doors. It shows a clear view of a field dealing with change. It must quickly adapt to new trends in journalism and how audiences behave.

The report is structured around three chapters:

Chapter 1: Setting the scene

• The gravitational pull of video in journalism.
• The “triple threat” of platform, tone, and format fragmentation.
• The disruptive role of AI: friend, foe, or force multiplier?

Chapter 2: Unpacking the challenge

• Who is riding the wave, and who is drowning?
• Why legacy players have found adaptation so hard.
• What newsroom leaders told us.

Chapter 3: Key learnings

• The building blocks of an effective video strategy.
• Examples to follow, and pitfalls to avoid.
• Ten practical principles every newsroom should take away.

The building blocks of success

Through our research, one message rang loud and clear: successful video strategies don’t happen by accident. They are built on a series of interconnected blocks, each one critical to making video journalism work at scale.

• Audience Strategy: Who are you really trying to reach, and how do they behave?
• Editorial Strategy: How does video reflect your mission and values?
• Commercial Strategy: Where does video sit in your revenue model?
• Stories & Journalism: Which stories belong in video form, and how are they produced?
• Format & Platform: What formats and channels matter most, and why?
• Skills & Capability: Do you have the right people and training?
• Technology & Infrastructure: Are your tools fit for purpose?
• Workflows: How well do teams collaborate across silos?
• Decision-Making & Governance: Are editorial calls guided by data and clarity?
• Measurement & Performance: Do you know what success looks like, and how to track it?

When these blocks align, video stops being a distraction and starts being a driver of reach, trust, and revenue.

Why this matters 

The rise of video is not a passing phase; it’s the new language of news. Audiences expect it. Platforms privilege it. Advertisers demand it. For anyone tracking the future of journalism, one thing is clear: video will sit at the centre of the newsroom.

But the pivot to video can’t be made blindly. It requires thought, discipline, and investment. It also requires leaders willing to make bold choices: about formats, platforms, and above all, the kind of journalism they want to deliver.

Download the full report

The newsroom is at a crossroads. Those who continue to chase trends in journalism will be left behind. Those who step back, strategise, and build on firm foundations will thrive.

Our 2025 report: The New Newsroom: How the Relentless Rise of Video Must Reshape Journalism offers the insights, frameworks, and practical steps to help you do just that.

Download the report today to discover:

• First-hand perspectives from leading editors and executives.
• A clear framework for building an effective video strategy.
• Ten practical principles every newsroom can put into action.

The future of journalism is here. Let’s shape it together.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding Q5’s work in Media, or would like to hear more about our insights into the trends across the sector, please reach out to our team – we’re always up for a chat!

Rob Hedges

Media SME

[email protected]

Katie Burridge

Media Lead

[email protected]