An edited version of the 2026 Andrew Olle Media Lecture, delivered in Sydney by Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni, focuses on one of the biggest questions facing the media industry: can journalism remake itself before artificial intelligence fundamentally changes the news business?
The central issue is not just whether AI can speed up reporting or alter how audiences consume information. It is whether a trusted, sustainable and global news organisation can still thrive as agentic AI grows more capable and more influential in shaping what people read, search for and believe.
The lecture frames this moment as a race between credible journalism and the possibility that weaker, less accountable AI-driven alternatives could fill the gap first. That raises concerns about trust, reliability and the public value of verified reporting at a time when automated systems may become a dominant gateway to information.
At its core, the argument is that journalism cannot rely on old models while technology moves ahead. News organisations must find ways to adapt without losing the standards that make them valuable, especially as AI forces a broader rethink of how trustworthy information is produced, delivered and sustained.
