Miami (July 17, 2025) – The personalization of content as a key tool for media outlets to strengthen their connection with audiences in an increasingly competitive digital environment was the central theme of a panel held during SIPConnect 2025, the annual conference of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) focused on digital transformation and journalism sustainability.
Aldana Vales, former Director of Audience Experience at Gannett-USA Today Network, and Claudio Cabrera, Vice President of Audience at The Athletic, shared their insights on how media organizations can leverage data and algorithms to deliver relevant, accessible, and interest-based content to their users. The panel was moderated by Werner Zitzmann, Executive Director of the Colombian Association of Media Outlets (AMI).
Vales emphasized that although algorithms now play a central role in content distribution, the true starting point remains active listening to audiences. “Readers come to media looking for different things. This presents major challenges, from editorial curation in newsrooms to the active personalization users do themselves,” she explained.
She also warned about the risks of excessive fragmentation: “An overly fragmented experience can feel empty. Each media outlet must ask itself what kind of personalization is truly effective for its audience.”
Cabrera, meanwhile, highlighted the need to understand the diverse behaviors among different audiences. “Some users are willing to pay for content, and others are not. Even among paying users, there are very different profiles. Some are loyal and engaged, others stay only briefly,” he said.
When considering sustainable revenue models, he added, it’s not enough to count subscribers: “Reach also matters. And that means analyzing consumption habits to better serve each segment.”
Cabrera also emphasized the value of partnering with niche content creators. “We don’t always look for influencers with millions of followers. We prefer those with 20,000 or 50,000 who have authority and credibility within their niche,” he concluded.
The panel reaffirmed that content personalization goes beyond technology—it is an editorial decision focused on people.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.