The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette Why The Economist isn't doing deals with OpenAI
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Sep 18, 2025 Luke Bradley-Jones, President of The Economist, discusses the publication's unique stance on AI, opting not to partner with OpenAI while focusing on customer relationships. He outlines a strategy for a post-search world by emphasizing differentiation and direct connections with readers. Luke introduces their new Substack newsletter, 'Off the Charts,' for niche data journalism. He argues The Economist excels with in-depth analysis over AI summaries, and he shares insights on alternative revenue streams and the importance of adapting to new media landscapes.
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Preparing For A Post-Search World
- The Economist expects a 'post-search' world where LLM answer-engines become end destinations and won't drive referral traffic.
- They focus on differentiation, direct customer relationships, and new discoverability routes to survive this shift.
Defend The Direct Customer Relationship
- Do double down on unique, hard-to-replicate journalism like curated text, audio, and video.
- Do build direct relationships with customers and block AI crawlers until proper agreements exist.
Substack As A Niche Acquisition Channel
- The Economist is using Substack to reach niche audiences while avoiding cannibalising core subscriptions.
- Substack gives them direct emails and a new paid channel despite platform fees.