2026 Hong Kong journalism conference: GenZ, AI, Substack, personal branding & mental health

The 10th annual FCC Journalism Conference highlights the shifting paradigms of the media industry, where traditional newsroom roles are increasingly supplemented by independent branding and impact-driven models. Journalists now navigate a landscape defined by the rise of Substack and personal content creation, forcing a reevaluation of financial sustainability and professional identity. The integration of AI presents a double-edged sword; while it offers efficiency in data analysis and language translation, it threatens job security and risks lowering editorial standards. Furthermore, the industry is confronting a necessary cultural shift regarding mental health. Moving away from the historical "tough it out" mentality, journalists are now prioritizing awareness of moral injury and the psychological toll of verifying traumatic content, underscoring the need for systemic support in an era of relentless digital noise.