Insight Shapes News

Kilkaya with Nils Ove Håland Riise

Insight Shapes News is a podcast hosted by Nils Ove Håland Riise, who works at Kilkaya, a leader in analytics and informed personalization for news and publishers. The podcast features deep-dive conversations with industry experts, covering topics such as editorial insights, audience engagement, AI-driven personalization, and the evolving relationship between technology and newsrooms. With a focus on practical applications and real-world experiences, Insight Shapes News explores how data, innovation, and editorial strategies shape the future of journalism.

  1. #15 The Leadership Model in Newsrooms Is Broken. What Needs to Change? Jeremy Clifford at Chrysalis Leadership

    1D AGO

    #15 The Leadership Model in Newsrooms Is Broken. What Needs to Change? Jeremy Clifford at Chrysalis Leadership

    What does it take to lead journalists through uncertainty, resistance, and constant change? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Jeremy Clifford, former Editor-in-Chief of one of the UK’s largest media organisations and now a leadership coach working with newsrooms. Jeremy argues that the demands placed on newsroom leaders have shifted significantly. Editors are expected to manage AI adoption, interpret data, drive subscription growth, and guide teams through restructuring and uncertainty. Many were promoted for their journalistic ability rather than for leading people. The conversation examines where leadership most often weakens: unclear communication, misalignment between strategy and daily priorities, reluctance to address performance issues, and insufficient preparation for handling resistance to change. Jeremy outlines practical approaches from his coaching work, including how to structure performance conversations, how to establish authority without needing expertise in every technical area, and how to maintain trust during restructures. The discussion also addresses how data and AI influence editorial decision-making, and why leaders must operate with incomplete information while remaining clear in direction. 🎧 Topics we cover: Why newsroom leadership struggles during transformation The difference between editorial skill and leadership capability A structured method for handling difficult conversations How tone and communication shapes newsroom culture Leading journalists who resist strategic change Managing trust and morale during restructuring The balance between authority and influence How data and AI affect decision-making The importance of clarity under pressure Whether leadership can be developed If you work in newsroom leadership, editorial strategy, or product, this episode offers a focused discussion on how leadership shapes organisational outcomes. 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on leadership, personalization, subscriptions, and structural change in journalism. Chapters: 00:00 The Need for Quality Leadership in Newsrooms 02:49 Navigating Change and Digital Transformation 05:16 Building Effective Leadership Skills 08:00 The Importance of Leadership Tone 11:07 Earning Influence in a Newsroom 14:01 Selecting the Right Team Members 16:50 Handling Difficult Conversations 19:33 The Role of Empathy in Leadership 22:06 Communicating Change Effectively 25:05 The Impact of AI and Data on Leadership 27:45 Values and Trust in Leadership 30:24 The Challenges of Leadership Under Pressure 33:10 The Evolution of Leadership in Newsrooms 35:59 The Future of Leadership with AI 38:47 Navigating Data in Leadership 41:48 The Importance of Clarity and Authenticity 44:31 Connecting with Staff in High-Pressure Situations 47:06 Is Leadership for Everyone? 49:52 Self-Reflection and Growth in Leadership 52:50 Final Thoughts on Leadership Challenges

    1h 4m
  2. #14 Algorithms vs Editors: Who Decides What You Read at Scale? Christoph Schmitz at Schibsted

    JAN 5

    #14 Algorithms vs Editors: Who Decides What You Read at Scale? Christoph Schmitz at Schibsted

    How should personalization work in journalism when trust, fairness, and editorial responsibility are at stake? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Christoph Schmitz, Product Manager at Schibsted Media and lead of Curate, the content recommendation system used across several of the largest news brands in the Nordics. Christoph has worked with content recommendation for a long time. In this conversation, he explains how personalization is applied in practice inside a large media organization, and where the real risks appear when editorial judgment, algorithms, and audience behavior intersect. The discussion focuses on why segmentation models borrowed from advertising often fall short in a journalistic context, how dominant audience groups can shape recommendations in unintended ways, and why adding more data does not automatically lead to better outcomes. Christoph also shares how collaborative filtering is used at Schibsted, why it relies on reading behavior rather than tags or assumptions, and what its limitations are. A central theme throughout the episode is the role of the homepage. We explore why readers see different stories, why this can be difficult to explain internally, and why the very top of the page still carries editorial meaning even as personalization expands elsewhere. Christoph introduces the idea of the homepage as a shared reference point — a place where readers understand what matters at a given moment, whether they read every story or not. 🎧 Topics we cover: What personalization means in an editorial contextWhy segmentation introduces structural bias in news recommendationHow dominant user groups influence what journalism gets visibilityCollaborative filtering explained through real newsroom examplesHow demographic data can reduce model performancePersonalization as a tool for fairer distribution of journalismWhy readers see different versions of the homepageThe editorial role of the homepage topWhy news products should not be designed like social platformsThe “bonfire” metaphor and its relevance for shared public understandingWhy personalization requires gradual, incremental changeIf you work with personalization, content recommendation, homepage strategy, or editorial-product collaboration, this episode offers a detailed and experience-based look at how these systems function in reality, and what needs to be handled with care. 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on journalism, personalization, and the strategic choices shaping the news industry. Chapters 00:00 The Risks of Personalization 02:47 Understanding Personalization in Media 05:32 The Evolution of Personalization Models 08:10 Collaborative Filtering and Its Impact 10:54 The Role of Demographics in Personalization 13:35 Challenges in Personalization for Newsrooms 16:25 The Importance of Content Pool for Personalization 18:41 The Misconceptions of Personalization 21:17 The Future of Personalization in Journalism 24:22 The Role of Desk Editors in Automated Systems 26:59 The Concept of Liquid Content 29:32 Building a Personalization Team 32:04 Measuring the Value of Journalism 35:06 Visualizing a Personalized Homepage Research paper on personalization and long-term reader engagement: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09136 INMA case study: https://www.inma.org/blogs/ideas/post.cfm/personalising-the-front-page-isn-t-just-smart-it-s-fair Trailer photo credit: Foto: Mathias Broe.

    1h 10m
  3. #13 All-In on News Subscriptions. How Süddeutsche Zeitung Plans to Fund Journalism by 2030. Dominic Grzbielok at Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ)

    11/24/2025

    #13 All-In on News Subscriptions. How Süddeutsche Zeitung Plans to Fund Journalism by 2030. Dominic Grzbielok at Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ)

    Why do people really pay for news in 2025 — and what keeps them paying month after month? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Dominic Grzbielok, Head of Paid Content s at Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ). Dominic is a former journalist turned product leader who has spent the last 15 years living in the intersection of newsroom culture, product strategy, and subscription growth. SZ has set an ambitious north-star: fund the entire company through digital subscriptions by 2030. That goal shapes everything — from what the homepage looks like, to how paywalls work, to what metrics matter most. Dominic shares how SZ is evolving from reach-first thinking to serving loyal subscribers, why churn is the ultimate truth, and how habits — not hacks — are the real retention engine. We also dive into the most heated questions publishers face right now: Should personalization climb higher on the homepage? Do dynamic paywalls beat hard paywalls? And in a world of AI answers and LLM distribution… do we still need a homepage at all? 🎧 Topics we cover: Why people subscribe to news — and why “feeling informed” beats raw content The 2030 goal: going all-in on digital subscription revenue Why revenue matters more than subscriber counts (and the danger of discount addiction) The homepage as front door and brand signal — with 3/4 of it paywalled How SZ introduced hybrid personalization (editorial top, algorithmic modules below) What it takes to earn editorial trust in personalization: dashboards, rules, fast fixes The single most important metric Habits that retain: newsletters, podcasts, quizzes, games, and serialized content Bundling as a retention strategy — including SZ’s winning sports bundle with Kicker Why regional mega-bundles are harder in Germany than in the Nordics Dynamic paywalls: promising, but not worth the complexity yet AI distribution and licensing: partner, don’t panic — but don’t give away the brand The future for small publishers: specialization, local dominance, and cost discipline Dominic’s biggest lesson: the best products happen when journalists, designers, and PMs build together If you’re working on subscriptions, personalization, homepage strategy, or trying to navigate the AI-era business model shift — this conversation is a grounded, practical walk through what it takes to build a subscriber-first newsroom without losing your soul.

    1h 10m
  4. #12 Trust in Numbers: How Shared Data Makes Publishers Stronger Together. Bente Håvimb at MBL (Medietall)

    09/24/2025

    #12 Trust in Numbers: How Shared Data Makes Publishers Stronger Together. Bente Håvimb at MBL (Medietall)

    What happens when competitors share their most sensitive numbers — and build one common truth instead of competing dashboards? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise talks with Bente Håvimb, Project Manager at MBL (the Norwegian Media Business Association), about Medietall — the shared measurement system that unites nearly every Norwegian publisher under one set of trusted audience data. We dive into why transparency matters in an era of declining ad revenues, how collaboration on data helps publishers compete with global tech giants, and what makes Norway’s news market a “unicorn” in the eyes of international observers. 🎧 Topics we cover: Why openness and shared standards build trust between publishers, advertisers, and readers How Medietall measures reach, subscriptions, and behavior across 190+ titles Why “apples to apples” data lets Norwegian media stand stronger against Big Tech The unique Norwegian mix: high subscriptions, direct traffic, and logged-in users How advertisers actually use these numbers — and why many still default to global platforms What success looks like for Medietall: stability, quality, and constant adaptation The road ahead: video, audio, AI, and measuring trust as the next big KPI If you want to understand how collaboration can turn competitors into allies — and why a transparent, shared dataset is becoming the strongest weapon against Big Tech dominance — this conversation offers a rare look behind the numbers that shape Norway’s media industry. — 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, personalization, and the strategies shaping the media industry. Chapters 00:00 The State of Norwegian News Media 05:38 The Importance of Data Sharing in Media 11:19 Trust and Collaboration Among Publishers 17:14 Advertising Value and Media Reach 22:58 Unique Aspects of the Norwegian Media Market 28:49 Future Outlook for Media and Data 34:36 Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

    46 min
  5. #11 The News Homepage that wanted to be Smart. Dana Schlüenzen at Hamburger Morgenpost (MOPO)

    08/27/2025

    #11 The News Homepage that wanted to be Smart. Dana Schlüenzen at Hamburger Morgenpost (MOPO)

    When 80% of homepage clicks happen in the very top rows, this is exactly where personalization has the biggest impact. At the same time, publishers face declining traffic from social platforms and search, making the homepage a central place to build direct relationships with readers. In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise talks with Dana Schlüenzen, Director of Product at Hamburger Morgenpost (MOPO), about how her team introduced personalization at the top of the homepage. She explains the challenges of early systems that worked like a “black box,” why editorial control was essential to move forward, and what changed when personalization was combined with transparency. The discussion covers how MOPO tested personalization with its HSV football coverage, how the newsroom adapted, and what results followed: A 32% jump in CTR, evergreen stories resurfacing at the right time, and a newsroom culture shift that embraced personalization as a tool for strengthening direct reader relationships. 🎧 Topics we cover: Why the top rows drive 80% of clicks — and why personalization belongs there How “black box” algorithms undermine editorial trust The breakthrough: personalization with transparency and control Why direct engagement matters more as social/search traffic declines Lessons from testing on MOPO’s HSV football page Real results: 32% CTR growth and happier readers The cultural shift that turned skeptics into advocates If you’re rethinking homepage strategy with personalization in a world where direct reader engagement matters more than ever, this episode offers both practical lessons and candid reflections from the frontline. — 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, personalization, and the strategies shaping the media industry. Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Homepage Engagement03:41 Challenges of Personalization in News07:16 Balancing Control and Algorithmic Recommendations11:09 The Role of Editorial Teams in Personalization14:45 Testing and Learning from Personalization Strategies18:17 Measuring Success: CTR and User Engagement22:21 Cultural Shifts in Newsrooms25:51 Future of Personalization in Journalism

    45 min
  6. #10 The AI Agent Age In News: Why Ippen Media Built a Lab for the Future of Journalism. Markus Franz at Ippen Media

    06/30/2025

    #10 The AI Agent Age In News: Why Ippen Media Built a Lab for the Future of Journalism. Markus Franz at Ippen Media

    What happens when you give local newsrooms its own AI lab — and build tools that think with you, not just for you? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise is joined by Markus Franz, CTO at Ippen Media — Germany’s largest local journalism network — to explore how AI agents, adaptive content, and experimentation culture are shaping the future of journalism. Markus shares the story behind building Ippen’s internal AI lab, the kinds of projects they run, and why curiosity, speed, and a willingness to fail (fast) are critical for transforming legacy newsrooms. From ambient intelligence and elastic content to the evolving role of journalists as navigators, this is a conversation full of bold ideas and practical insight. 🎧 Topics we cover: What AI agents actually do in a newsroom Why the future has no buttons — just voice How Ippen’s lab team drives experimentation (and when they hand it off) Adaptive content vs. elastic content (and why it matters) How AI can help local journalism be faster, cheaper, and more relevant Building tools for the audience — not just the journalist The one trait Markus looks for in every lab hire Plus: If you dropped him in a struggling newsroom with just a laptop and Wi-Fi, Markus reveals exactly what he’d build first. Whether you’re thinking about personalization, newsroom transformation, AI strategy, or culture change — this is your front-row seat to the experimental edge of European journalism. — 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the media industry.

    58 min
  7. #9 The Buying Shift: What Publishers Must Understand About Modern Media Buying. Ann Jack at WPP

    06/19/2025

    #9 The Buying Shift: What Publishers Must Understand About Modern Media Buying. Ann Jack at WPP

    What do advertisers really want from publishers — and why do so many budgets still flow to big tech? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise sits down with Ann Jack, Managing Director of WPP Media Norway, to talk about what actually drives modern media buying decisions — and what publishers need to do to compete. From clean rooms and connected TV to programmatic out-of-home and first-party data strategies, this episode unpacks what’s changed, what buyers prioritize, and how publishers can unlock more value by making it easier to buy. 🎧 Topics we cover: Why friction-free buying is Important The power of first-party data (and who’s using it well) Why siloed formats and walled gardens block growth How WPP uses AI to optimize cross-channel campaigns What media sellers must know about Gen Z consumption habits What media must know about Gen Z consumption habits And why attention, attribution, and access matter more than ever Whether you're in publishing, adtech, sales, or strategy — this is a front-row view into what the world’s biggest media buyers expect in 2025 and beyond. — 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the media industry. Chapters 00:00 The Shift in Media Spending 02:48 Challenges for Publishers in the Digital Age 05:57 Navigating the Media Landscape: A Personal Journey 08:53 The Consolidated Media Landscape in Norway 12:07 Attracting Advertisers: The Appeal of Big Tech 14:59 Engaging Younger Audiences: The Role of Publishers 18:05 Building Strong Partnerships with Publishers 21:07 The Importance of Trust in Media 23:59 Adapting to Changing Consumer Behavior 28:09 The Shift in Content Consumption 30:00 Evolution of Advertising Formats 32:35 Programmatic Advertising Innovations 35:15 Challenges for Publishers 39:27 Future of Media and Content Delivery 45:06 The Role of Publishers in a Changing Landscape

    53 min
  8. #8 Journalism That Pays Its Own Bills: AI, independence & Purpose. Kjersti Løken Stavrum at Tinius Trust, the Owner of Schibsted

    06/05/2025

    #8 Journalism That Pays Its Own Bills: AI, independence & Purpose. Kjersti Løken Stavrum at Tinius Trust, the Owner of Schibsted

    What happens when a media company isn’t owned by investors — but by a single trust with a long-term mission? In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Kjersti Løken Stavrum, CEO of the Tinius Trust — the sole owner of Schibsted Media, the largest media group in the Nordics. We explore what changed when Schibsted’s media arm split from its marketplace business, their big bets for the future, and how that opened the door to major moves like their deal with OpenAI. 🎧 Topics we cover: Why a trust model offers both stability and responsibility in today’s media The thinking behind separating media from Schibsted’s high-margin marketplace business The OpenAI agreement — how it came together, what it covers, and what’s next What changes when journalism gets full strategic focus Serving Gen Z without compromising on editorial standards Press freedom, platform power, and the case for building European tech infrastructure Why independence still depends on one thing: being able to pay your own bills If you work in media, trust-based governance, AI, digital strategy, or editorial leadership — this episode offers a rare inside look at how one of Europe’s biggest media groups is rethinking the future from the ground up. — Chapters 00:00 The Impact of Technology on Media 06:02 Understanding the Tinius Trust 11:46 The Shift in Media Ownership 17:54 Challenges of Journalism in a Digital Age 23:51 Engaging the Younger Audience 30:13 The Role of Algorithms in Journalism 32:26 The Importance of Trust in Journalism 38:10 Revenue Streams and the Future of Media 44:20 AI's Role in Journalism 53:59 Future Outlook for Journalism 01:00:26 The New X Factor in Journalism Teams 🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on the future of journalism, product thinking, and the strategies shaping the news industry.

    1h 4m
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About

Insight Shapes News is a podcast hosted by Nils Ove Håland Riise, who works at Kilkaya, a leader in analytics and informed personalization for news and publishers. The podcast features deep-dive conversations with industry experts, covering topics such as editorial insights, audience engagement, AI-driven personalization, and the evolving relationship between technology and newsrooms. With a focus on practical applications and real-world experiences, Insight Shapes News explores how data, innovation, and editorial strategies shape the future of journalism.

Information

  • Creator
    Kilkaya with Nils Ove Håland Riise
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kilkaya with Nils Ove Håland Riise
  • Show Website
    Insight Shapes News