3 Action Items for Publishers

Last week, operators from some of the country’s biggest publishers got together to talk about the hardest questions in media. What is happening with search? How do live events make real money? How should publishers use AI? And how fast do teams need to adapt now?

Refact was there as a presenting partner, taking notes on the products, systems, and decisions publishers are using to stay flexible. We also publish Media Tech Report, where we cover practical ideas for digital publishing teams.

Here are three action items for publishers that stood out from the AMO Summit.

Be curious about AI

For many media companies, AI still feels like a threat. Copyright concerns are real. So is the fear of low-quality machine-written content. But one clear message from the summit was this: publishers should not ignore AI just because some uses are risky.

The better starting point is small, useful work. Dan Shipper, co-founder of Every, spoke about AI as a way to remove repetitive tasks from creative teams. Think article tagging, summarizing notes, or organizing research. That kind of support gives editors and operators more time for judgment and original reporting.

Vijay Nathan of Apartment Therapy described a practical first move. Build a small group across product, engineering, and editorial. Give them room to test ideas and report back. If you want an AI plan that fits your business, start by talking across teams and trying a few narrow use cases.

The longer-term opportunity is even more interesting. Instead of treating the published article as the only product, publishers can turn reporting, archives, and source material into something readers can explore. That is a strong fit for premium experiences, research products, and member tools.

This is one reason Refact has been investing in AI chatbot development for content-rich businesses. A well-scoped chatbot can help publishers create member-facing tools around trusted archives, while keeping control over how proprietary content is used.

Clean up your content and tech

Allison Murphy, Chief Operating Officer at Axios, made the pace of change clear. Teams used to have years to react to shifts in search, audience habits, or revenue models. Now they may have only weeks.

That changes what good infrastructure means. Publishers do not just need a site that works. They need a system that helps them move fast. Clean content models. Clear analytics. Fast page loads. Reliable integrations. Fewer manual workarounds.

At the summit, Refact CEO Saeed Abbaspour spoke about why technical cleanup matters so much, especially for media companies preparing for growth, partnerships, or acquisition. A messy archive, inconsistent branding, and fragile ad or subscription setups slow everything down. They also make future changes more expensive.

For teams planning the next stage of their platform, this is where focused web development for publishers matters. The goal is not change for its own sake. It is a publishing stack that supports faster decisions, cleaner operations, and more room to test new revenue ideas.

Seriously consider in-person events

Live events had only a small slot on the official schedule, but they came up all day. Speaker after speaker pointed to the same thing: events are becoming one of the clearest ways for media brands to deepen audience loyalty and bring in revenue.

The lesson was not to build bigger stages or book more famous speakers. It was to build stronger rooms. Matt Middleton of Future Proof said networking now matters more than content. Scarlett Sieber of Money20/20 stressed short programming that pushes people into real conversations. Eric Newcomer said themed events feel like an easier sell than some paid memberships right now because people want to connect in person.

That matters for publishers looking beyond ads and subscriptions. Events can support sponsorship sales, ticket revenue, community building, and premium brand positioning at the same time.

If live events are on your roadmap, the execution details matter just as much as the concept. Landing pages, registration flows, payment setup, CRM connections, and attendee follow-up all need to work together. If you need a technical partner to help plan and build that system, contact us.