The importance of the publisher-subscriber relationship

In 2026, the single biggest asset for a news media house will be the strength of its relationship with its subscribers. In other words, brand loyalty.

Traditionally, it was enough to create a large amount of content. Search led to the discovery of the news site. Click-throughs resulted in better search rankings. Better rankings meant more traffic, and traffic translated into revenue.

Not anymore. AI is replacing search engines, and they are no longer directing traffic to publishers' websites. Instead, they read coverage from multiple sources, build their own consolidated narratives, and, right or wrong, present them with confidence to the reader. No amount of content alone is going to result in discovery, rankings, traffic, and eventually revenue.

The only way to survive, if you are a news publisher, is to ensure that readers come directly to you for answers. For that to happen, you need to build a reputation and earn credibility, and thereby be perceived as the definitive source of information in your areas of specialization.

That is why, at Tikker News, we are constantly highlighting the importance of the publisher-subscriber relationship. Without it, content, however good, will only collect dust.

If you are a niche publisher, reach out to me.