Khalil is an advocate for audiences-driven approaches in the media industry. He consults, advises, and mentors teams and individuals at media organisations worldwide, helping them shape stronger, more connected societies, focusing mainly on user needs, product work and AI.
In this article, Khalil summarises his session at The Audiencers’ Festival London 2025 where he interviewed Oliver Kemp on his work on user needs at TBIJ.
> The Bureau of Investigative Journalism built its own user needs model rather than adopting the standard one. Its four needs are expose, discover, involve and spark, each tied directly to the mission > Building it in-house was the point. Bringing colleagues through the process turned sceptics into owners, and needs phrased in the newsroom's own language are far easier to accept than a generic framework > Oliver Kemp is honest that most newsrooms shouldn't start here. A bespoke model takes real work and patience from decision-makers, so begin with the off-the-shelf version and go bespoke once you're ready to commit > The unglamorous part carries everything. A content audit means tagging hundreds of recent pieces by the need each serves, and the resulting chart of mismatches is what convinces colleagues to act > The moment they knew it had worked: reporters began pitching stories with the need and the audience already identified, rather than tagging them afterwards
The media industry is struggling. Digital and print audiences are shrinking, layoffs are mounting, and trust in journalists is plummeting worldwide. You’ve seen this story unfold.
But look closer and you’ll find rays of hope – rays that are growing brighter. Because, beyond the industry malaise, a subset of media operations is thriving.
I’ve studied some of these successful operations for several years and found one fundamental factor that unites them: their ability to connect (or reconnect) with people … with their audiences. They serve people’s needs with quality, trustworthy journalism that is genuinely valuable. And because they consistently provide value, people forge real connections with them.
