Digital Revolution Rendered Obsolete Business Models, Not Newspapers – Caleb University VC
Citing findings from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, Asikhia stated that more than half of global news consumers now access news primarily through digital platforms, with many relying on social media, podcasts, newsletters, and video-based content for information.
The Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, has said that the digital revolution did not render newspapers obsolete but instead exposed the weaknesses of outdated business models, urging local newspapers to embrace innovation to remain relevant in an increasingly digital media landscape.
Prof. Asikhia made the remarks on Monday while delivering the opening address at the university’s Journalism Outlook Conference, themed “Reinventing Local Newspapers in the Digital Age: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Community Impact.”
According to him, newspapers have historically played an indispensable role in society by promoting accountability, preserving history, and defending democratic values.
“Newspapers have served as the conscience of societies, custodians of democratic ideals, reservoirs of history, promoters of development and defenders of truth,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the media industry is undergoing profound changes driven by artificial intelligence, social media, digital advertising, citizen journalism, and changing audience behaviour. He observed that these developments have disrupted traditional newsroom operations and intensified competition for public attention.
He also pointed to declining advertising revenue, rising operational costs, AI-generated content, and dwindling public trust in institutions as some of the major challenges confronting local newspapers across the world.
Citing findings from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, Asikhia stated that more than half of global news consumers now access news primarily through digital platforms, with many relying on social media, podcasts, newsletters, and video-based content for information.
Despite these trends, he maintained that newspapers continue to enjoy public trust when they uphold credibility, independence, and strong community engagement.
“The digital revolution did not kill newspapers. It killed obsolete business models. People have not stopped consuming news; they have simply changed how they consume it,” Asikhia stated.
He stressed that the future of newspapers lies in reinventing content delivery, audience engagement, revenue generation, newsroom culture and technological capability rather than abandoning the core principles of journalism.
Asikhia further described local newspapers as irreplaceable because of their unique role in holding governments and institutions accountable, preserving local identity, fostering community participation, and promoting development through quality reporting.
“No social media influencer can consistently replace investigative local journalism. No one understands the realities of a community better than journalists embedded within those communities,” he argued.
The Vice Chancellor expressed optimism that the conference would generate practical ideas for repositioning community and local newspapers to thrive in the digital age while remaining accessible to the communities they serve.
