Futures Forum visits schools to discuss sports news and social media

This spring, IN/LAB took Futures Forum - our discussion forum on the future of news - to high school classrooms. We invited inspiring media professionals from Sportbladet, Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, and Schibsted Marketing Services to meet and discuss with around 90 students. The sessions explored two different topics - sports news and social media. Below we share what we learned in conversations with the young participants.

Exploring futures for sports news

Journalists from Sportbladet and students from Stockholms idrottsgymnasium worked together to identify signals of change in sports and news reporting and developed future scenarios based on the signals. They then discussed whether these scenarios are preferable or not, and what the media should do to either prevent or realise the futures. The students mainly highlighted how AI, social media, influencers and changes in different sports might affect the sports news experience. Here are some of the takeaways for news media:

1. Keep it human and present - The students emphasise that technology like AI should be used to enhance journalism, but not take away the human touch. Emotions along with personal experiences and voices make sports news feel real and engaging. A newly launched AI sports commentator was heavily criticised.
   

2. Be open and critical - As influencers enter the intersection of news and sports, media should stay transparent about their sources and maintain independence, even if they collaborate with influencers to reach new audiences. A critical eye was seen by the students as especially important in coverage of themes like athlete diets or tech in sports.
   

3. Put fans at the center - Fans' emotions, opinions, and passion deserve even more space in sports news, according to the students. These perspectives can enrich the stories and deepen audience connection. 

   
   

News media's role in relation to social media

At Globala gymnasiet we had open discussions with two classes about social media in relation to news media. Many of the journalists involved in the discussions worked directly with social media and could answer questions directly from students during the sessions. Below are insights from the conversations on how news media can approach social media.

1. Platform presence - News media should continue to offer reliable, verified information on its own platform, but students also stress the importance of having credible media voices on social media. Many have encountered extreme political content and fake profiles posing as trustworthy media sources. Without media presence on platforms where young people spend their time, there is a risk they’ll miss important news altogether or be misled.
   

2. Format evolution - Students like social media for its speed and accessibility, but also the social nature and ability to connect and interact. News media could take inspiration from this and introduce or improve features like engaging comment sections or direct messaging with journalists. Creating space for dialogue would make news feel more personal, responsive, and relevant.
   

3. Emotional and civic engagement - Social media is seen as a more effective tool than news media for creating change in a group of people or in society. It invites people to engage more directly with issues - sharing, liking, commenting - and feel personally involved in an issue. News media can use interactive formats to support more informed discussions and actionable news stories. 

We are so happy about the positive response to Futures Forum among students, journalists and teachers! Here are some of the students’ reflections that inspire us to keep creating spaces where young people and journalists can meet, share ideas, and explore the future of news together. “It was great that you came here and wanted to hear our perspective!”

“I felt like I got a better understanding of how hard it is for journalists to produce good and relevant news for everyone.”

“It was really good to be able to think about the future and speculate on what things might look like!”