FTVLive predicted that this would happen years ago and it has.

The news industry is witnessing a seismic shift as Big Tech companies distance themselves from the news business. Silicon Valley's retreat from news has raised questions about the future of traditional journalism, but the narrative is not complete without considering changing reader habits and engagement.

After the tumultuous 2016 election, news evolved from being a central feature to an unwieldy responsibility for tech giants. Companies like Facebook, Meta, Google, and even new platforms like Threads have scaled back their support for news content. Elon Musk's actions on Twitter and the birth of his new platform, X, underscore the complexity of the relationship between technology and news.

It's not just tech companies distancing themselves from news; readers are also breaking up with traditional news sources. Recent research from the Pew Research Center indicates that fewer adults are following the news regularly in 2021 and 2022 than in any previous year. The decline is even more pronounced when breaking down demographics, with only 38 percent of American adults closely following the news, down from a high of 52 percent in 2018.

Axios's data from 2022 further supports this trend, showing a decline in news consumption across various media, despite significant events like January 6 and the Ukraine conflict. The reasons for the struggles of legacy news organizations are multi-faceted. Trust in the media has sharply fallen, and efforts from the right to discredit mainstream media have played a role. The decline of local news outlets at the hands of hedge funds and the rise of influencer-driven news sources on platforms like Instagram and TikTok further complicate the landscape.

Changing reader preferences are driven by parasocial relationships, where trust in news sources is not solely based on reporting quality or brand prestige but on personal connections with influencers and creators. A shift in public opinion is evident as well. In 2014, 75 percent of adults felt more informed about national news due to the internet and social media, but by 2020, a Pew survey revealed that those who primarily consumed political news through social media were less engaged and less knowledgeable about current events and politics.

The influence of social media platforms on online news and vice versa is also apparent. In 2013, Facebook made a subtle algorithm adjustment, resulting in a surge of news organizations' visibility on the platform. Publishers adapted to this change, optimizing their content for algorithms and encouraging clickbait-style headlines to attract more engagement. News cycles accelerated, and the herding effect of social media began shaping news coverage.

Twitter became a de facto assignment editor for newsrooms, turning journalists into online influencers while also exposing them to attacks and harassment. Politically, the symbiotic relationship between social media and news became evident, with algorithms favoring divisive and controversial content, elevating figures like Donald Trump, whose every statement garnered widespread attention.

The declining engagement with traditional news and the changing dynamics of news consumption suggest that both tech companies and readers play crucial roles in reshaping the media landscape. News organizations are grappling with the challenge of adapting to these evolving preferences and regaining the trust of their audiences. As the tech industry and readers continue to redefine their relationship with news, the future of journalism remains uncertain.