KRAKOW, Poland —From May 4–6, Membrana Media participated in the 76th World News Media Congress, hosted by WAN-IFRA at the ICE Kraków Congress Centre. The event gathered over 1,000 media professionals from across Europe, South Africa, and Asia to discuss the evolving challenges and opportunities in journalism.
As sessions unfolded across multiple tracks, one theme became a hot topic: AI is no longer on the horizon—it’s already transforming the newsroom.
Supporting the Shift with Practical AI Tools
Throughout the congress, the Membrana Media team was on the ground meeting with editorial leaders and sharing early insights from its AI-powered editorial assistant—a tool designed to help publishers create, optimize, and publish content more efficiently.
From Spain to Turkey to Ukraine, each region brings different needs—and our team reflected that diversity of experience.
Mike Kudriavsky, Membrana Media’s CEO, was joined by:
- Raul Castillo, Country Manager for Spain
- Thomas Avlonitis, Country Manager for Greece
- Tuna Pinar, Country Manager for Turkey & MENA
- Mykhailo Kryvda, Country Manager for Ukraine
- Tetiana Mykhailenko, Global Marketing Manager
Together, they engaged with publishers from across markets—discussing everything from automation and workflow challenges to monetization models and audience behavior.
“We came to Krakow to listen,” said Kudriavsky. “To hear from publishers firsthand — what they’re hoping for, struggling with, figuring out”.
Many of those conversations happened directly at Booth 22, where the team invited attendees to test the prototype and take part in a structured AI survey.
The yellow duck mascot—a nod to “rubber duck debugging”—offered a lighthearted reminder: even complex problems can have simple, clear solutions when discussed openly.
What the Industry Is Talking About
Key sessions helped frame the moment publishers now find themselves in.
One standout talk came from Arun Venkataraman of Google News, who explored how traditional journalism is being challenged by influencer content and changing algorithms. His message: to stay relevant, publishers need to focus on trust, context, and personalized content that truly connects with readers.
A panel featuring Meera Selva (Internews Europe), Marty Baron (The Washington Post), Julia Angwin (Proof News), and Ladina Heimgartner (President, WAN-IFRA) looked at how people discover and consume news today. With AI tools and platforms increasingly shaping what people see, the panel explored how newsrooms can keep control while staying visible and trusted.
In another session, Catherine So (CEO, South China Morning Post) and Ezra Eeman (Dutch Public Broadcaster) discussed how to build a strong AI roadmap.
Even though there are still a lot of questions—about copyright, payment, and how users behave—they stressed the importance of having a clear vision and a long-term strategy.
Across the board, the takeaway was simple: to succeed in this changing landscape, publishers need to protect credibility, stay adaptable, and build sustainable models that serve both their audience and their business.
These conversations proved just how important it is to have the right tools, ask the right questions, and stay closely connected to the people doing the work—exactly what Membrana Media came to Krakow to support.