MONTHLY NEWS - YOUNG STATIONERS
4 FEBRUARY 2025
Hello reader!
I know what you are thinking: we are barely a few weeks into 2025 and The Stationer is already banging on about artificial intelligence — and quite right too, as a startling new report in The Daily Telegraph warns about the impact of the technology on jobs.
By analysing figures from the Office for National Statistics, the newspaper was able to reveal which sectors and salaries are growing fastest. But it also paints a morbid picture of the areas that are on decline amid the Government’s economic policies, changing consumer preferences and (you guessed it) the advent of AI.
I am afraid to say it is bad news for those working the content and communications industries. Take educational professionals, whose earnings fell by 10 per cent over the last 12 months because of funding cuts and recruitment problems. Within this field of work, AI — with its time-saving capabilities and enhanced automation — will likely result in the number of education administrators and bookkeppers being cut.
Then there are public relations and communications directors, whose wages are down 4.3 per cent on 2023 due to the rapid shift towards digital and social media. While PR still plays a vital role in shaping compelling narratives, Michael E. Donner, Chief Marketing Officer at Thrivelab, says many businesses are skipping traditional agencies altogether as they are using AI tools to ‘pitch directly to journalists and track brand sentiment with minimal overhead’.
However, if like me you are a journalist, look away now. A salary for a news reporter fell by 23.3 per cent, with average pay for newspaper editors also suffering a 6.2 per cent cut. Dwindling print opportunities and declining advertising revenues are one factor. But AI is another beast my profession is grappling with. In fact, Axel Springer — the media conglomerate that owns Business Insider and Politico — has warned its staff that AI could steal jobs by aggregating information much better than humans.
Alice Collyer, who is studying is Computational and Data Journalism at Cardiff University, explains in this month’s feature how AI has become central to discussions about the future of journalism. After reading her piece, ask yourself: what does your industry need to do to mitigate the potential negative impacts of AI? I would love to hear your thoughts.
As always, if you are interested in contributing to The Stationer, wish to share a job opportunity, or simply fancy having a chat, feel free to drop publisher Rob Wilding a line at robert.wilding96@gmail.com.
Enjoy the issue.