By Stephanie Zucarelli
One of the core focuses of Media Party X is finding technological tools that help optimize traditional content production workflows. Under this premise, Ezra Eeman has spent over 20 years promoting the adoption of new software tools within classic editorial dynamics.
Eeman has always brought a fresh perspective to newsgathering, having started his career in communications after graduating as a film director from LUCA School of Arts. This background proved especially valuable when he applied as a Fulbright scholar specializing in journalism at The City University of New York (CUNY), where he shaped new models for news production.
In 2017, he joined the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as Digital Change Manager to assist in building digital strategies. He worked there until 2021, leading digital transformation services provided by the EBU. His role was pivotal in bridging the gap between the communications industry and tech groups focused on creating new media.
As an Advisory Board member at Future Media Hubs, he researches new technological methods to expand collaboration between digital development players and major news conglomerates such as BBC, France Télévisions, and Mediahuis, among others.
Eeman became Digital Change Director at Mediahuis thanks to his background in coordinating cross-functional teams and his drive to bring new digital tools to newsrooms. His perspective helps traditional editorial structures develop new forms of storytelling to innovate and optimize communication channels with their audiences.
Together with the Mediahuis team and backed by the Google News Initiative, he is developing a project to conceptualize “Article DNA”—an AI-powered initiative to analyze and categorize text across various parameters to evaluate the types of content publishers produce.
I use the word ‘lens’ a lot when discussing examples, to show people that by using these tools, what you are looking at doesn’t necessarily change—what changes is the way you look at it. That way, it truly feels like a tool: something you can adjust without changing who you are or the topic you want to cover. It only changes how you approach it and how you do it,” he explained during Future Journalism Today.
To attend Ezra Eeman’s keynote, you can register here.
