Our Scans · (ZY.4.18) Media Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] As smartphones, platform tools, AI, and low-cost production reduce barriers to entry, livestreaming and short-form user-generated content (UGC) videos will shift media further away from centrally controlled distribution and towards a more democratised environment. PwC
• [New] The opposing forces of platform centralization and content decentralization will continue to shape the media and entertainment industry, as they have since the birth of the World Wide Web. PwC
• [New] This week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on apps such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat unless they prove that they are over the age of 16. The Guardian
• [New] Importance for marketers: OpenAI is building more of the infrastructure advertisers expect from mature media platforms. MarketingProfs
• [New] Under-16s will lose access to social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, while the minimum age for chatbots that imitate romantic interactions will be raised to 18. Wired
• [New] Skills in demand: For 59% of PR professionals, storytelling and content creation will be the number one in-demand skill of 2026, followed by media relations at 44%. Sprout Social
• [New] The long-term outlook: 59% of professionals expect AI and automation to be the single most critical factor in industry growth over the next five years, outpacing media relations and traditional strategic planning. Sprout Social
• [New] On the other hand, estimates from Statista predict the US to have 316.07 million social media users in 2026, and it's projected to grow further, reaching 330.07 million social media users by 2029. demandsage
• [New] Key deepfake statistics for 2026: deepfake files grew from roughly 500,000 in 2023 to a projected 8 million in 2025, a deepfake fraud attempt occurred every five minutes in 2024, and only 0.1% of people can reliably tell AI-generated media from real. Deepfake Detector
• [New] As big media brands such as Schibsted in the Nordics, the Daily Mail and the Independent in the UK, and the Washington Post and many others in the US set up their own 'creator labs', the dividing line between conventional and alternative news media will only become more blurred. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
• [New] The European Commission's AI Office convened a new round of working group meetings to advance the forthcoming Code of Practice on the Marking and Labelling of AI-Generated Content, which will establish technical benchmarks for identifying synthetic media under the EU AI Act. EU DisinfoLab
• [New] Traditional media will continue to trend downward, even being surpassed by online advertising by 2028. Ignite Visibility
• [New] AI reported Bitdefender's 2026 Global Scam Intelligence findings, warning that online scams now operate across social media, messaging apps, SMS, advertising and calls with business-like budgets. Digital Forensics Magazine
• [New] There are steps that the UK government could be taking now - from banning the use of social media for children and using Ofcom's powers to force social media firms to act. The Guardian
• [New] The 2040 climate target communication impact assessment showed an expected need to capture 280 million tonnes of CO2 annually, by 2040. European Parliament
• [New] Social media ad spending is projected to reach $317.33 billion in 2026. demandsage
• [New] Recent whitepapers from the Center for Internet Security highlight three interconnected risk areas that demand attention from public safety, emergency management, and security professionals: evolving UAS threats, drone-enabled cyber risks, and deepfakes and synthetic media. DRONERESPONDERS
• [New] Spain said it will continue advancing regulations targeting social media platforms and high-risk artificial intelligence systems despite lobbying pressure from technology companies. The AI Policy Newsletter
• [New] The sprawling SpaceX business will be split into three parts: the rocket-launching unit; the Starlink satellite broadband arm; and the AI company that includes X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The Guardian
• [New] Media, and technology trends and predictions 2026' report for the Reuters Institute, publishers expect traffic from search engines to decline by 43% over the next three years. Vuelio -
• The global entertainment and media industry reached US$ 3 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 3.5 trillion by 2029, growth driven substantially by digital content consumption across emerging markets. MarketForces Africa

Last updated: 25 June 2026