January 12, 2026 | SIGN UP

Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde
DIGIDAY, MANAGING EDITOR

With the rise of so-called news personalities, it’s no wonder that established news organizations are turning to hiring creators to distribute their reported journalism. We took a look at the phenomenon from the likes of CNN to Yahoo to The Washington Post.

We’ve also set up the year with predictive coverage:

How TechRadar publisher Future wants to win the AI visibility game
How 2026 will be the year authenticity gets repriced in the creator economy
Here’s what media execs are prioritizing in 2026
How Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince became publishing’s unexpected defender

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Top stories

THE 2026 NOTEBOOK

Why publishers are building their own creator networks

Publishers are forming creator networks to regain control, combat traffic declines, and reach audiences shifting toward influencers.

Future starts to sharpen its AI search visibility playbook

Future is boosting AI search citations and mentions with a tool called Future Optic, and offering the product to branded content clients.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MEDIA

Gaming has transformed beyond a demographic: Lessons from 4As Gaming Day

It’s difficult to find someone who isn’t gaming in some form, from commuters on mobile devices to families on consoles and more. This all contributes to a global entertainment behavior that’s become fully mainstream. This shift is forcing marketers to reconsider how they define and understand audience reach.

THE CREATOR ECONOMY

Digiday’s extensive guide to what’s in and out for creators in 2026

With AI-generated content flooding social media platforms, embracing the messiness and imperfection of being human will help creators stand out in the spreading sea of slapdash slop.

A MESSAGE FROM NEXXEN

Why the second wave of first-party data will encompass more than brands and agencies

As the market moves toward greater fragmentation, signal loss and scrutiny, the time has come to realize the value of the first-party data of publishers, commerce media networks and social platforms.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Media Briefing: Here’s what media execs are prioritizing in 2026

Media executives enter 2026 weathered by disruption, but refocused on AI revenue, brand strength and video and creator opportunities.

THE 2026 NOTEBOOK

The accidental guardian: How Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince became publishing’s unexpected defender

Cloudflare’s day job is fending off botnets and nation-state cyberattacks, not debating how Google and other AI firms crawl publisher sites.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PADSQUAD

Recentering ad quality and relevance in a precision-driven industry

Many ad experiences are built without input from audience behavior, real-time performance or contextual signals. While these experiences may align with a brand platform, they’re not always designed to resonate with the people who see them. When the goal is relevance, it requires planning creative structures that adapt to different audiences, mindsets and contexts.

Other things to know

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ADSTRA

Identity is finally within reach for challenger brands