Artificial intelligence is a transformational technology of the digital age and an increasingly critical business mindset for companies, especially for those in the media sector with a growing array of digital content products and advertising opportunities. Given its unique market characteristics, it is unclear whether AI would offer the same disruptive power and utilities in the media sector as in other tangible goods industries. This review examines the utilities of AI in the media industry, AI’s role in the context of value chain, and the challenges in incorporating the cognitive technologies in this industry. It was concluded that AI applications in media have occurred in the eight main areas: audience content recommendations/discovery, audience engagement, augmented audience experience, message optimization, content management, content creation, audience insights, and operational automation. There are significant challenges in balancing the effectiveness and efficiency, and human and AI judgement.

Through a large-scale national survey, this study provided the first comprehensive examination of podcast users in the United States from the perspectives of motivation and usage. It deepened our understanding of this new on-demand audio platform in the context of consumption drivers, behaviors, and competing media options. The results showed that entertainment, information, and audio platform superiority were the most important motivators for podcast consumption. In addition, motives were found to affect listening behaviors, including listening settings, width, depth, and routine of listening, and usage of competing audio media, such as regular radio, online radio, and streaming music. The findings revealed that podcasting is a distinct medium with unique characteristics rather than a mobile, on-demand extension of existing audio platforms like radio. Podcast consumption, especially on today’s complex media platforms, is multidimensional and should be measured from multiple aspects and examined in various settings.

Using the frameworks of innovation diffusion and technology acceptance model, this study examines the predictors of mobile news consumption among young adults. The results show that the perceived relative advantage (especially content), utility, and ease of use of mobile news are positively related to its adoption. The young adults’ news consumption patterns and preferences, as well as media usage, all play a role in the adoption of mobile news. This study also validates the importance of examining the adoption outcome from multiple perspectives.

(2011). Media Branding in a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities 2.0. International Journal on Media Management: Vol. 13, Brand Management, pp. 3-19.

Adopting the construct of “brand personality,” this article examines the news brands of Cable News Network, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CBS news, NBC news, and ABC news; investigates the factors influencing their brand images; and assesses the consequences of these brand perceptions. Using the news brand personality dimensions of competence, timeliness, and dynamism, it was found that antecedents such as an audience's attitude toward an affiliated television network, perceived importance of anchors, and use of television as a news source help shape the brand personality of a network news product. The perceived brand personality of a news outlet, especially along the dimension of competence, also contributes to an audience's attitude, usage, and loyalty of the news brand.

Adopting the construct of “brand personality,” this article examines the perceived differences among various television news brands, investigates the distinction between cable and broadcast news brands, and explores the applicability of brand personality in this market. CNN was found to possess the most distinct, positive personality, whereas CBS news had the least differentiated brand personality. Fox News was seen as the most dynamic and conservative. Overall, broadcast network news was perceived to be more traditional and liberal than cable network news. Three modified dimensions—competence, timeliness, and dynamism—were found to represent the personality facets of the television news product.