In a new episode of SoMoCast, Nikola Vrdoljak welcomes Danijel Fazlić, one of the leading experts on digital development in the region, and the digital director of Bloomberg Adria. He reveals how technology, artificial intelligence, and shifts in user habits are shaping the future of media. His professional journey, from Turkey to media, his love for data, and his unique perspective on media transformation make him a key voice in the region.
Although he is now at the helm of Bloomberg Adria’s digital operations, Daniel’s path to media wasn’t conventional. After studying and living in Istanbul, where he dealt with the economic policies of the Balkans and the Middle East, Daniel returned to Slovenia in search of new challenges. He started as a floor manager on television but quickly discovered his passion for analytics and data. “I fell in love with Excel,” Daniel says with a laugh, explaining how this love for data became his key tool for understanding media trends.
From that perspective, he quickly advanced in the media world, combining his knowledge of analytics and economics with a deep understanding of media content. “Media is full of data – it’s not just about what is most read, but why something is popular and how to predict what will be read tomorrow,” he explains.
Television on the Decline, Digital is Rising Daniel’s vision of the future of media leaves no room for linear formats like traditional television. “Television is for my parents’ generation. The Boomer generation still watches TV, but when they’re gone, viewership will be halved,” he emphasizes. Young people are already turning to digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok, while traditional TV is slowly losing relevance.
TikTok has emerged as a new force in the media space, with its 8-second rule, leaving little room for error – if you don’t grab attention immediately, users move on. “TikTok has changed the way we consume content, with endless scrolling and content personalization,” Daniel says, highlighting that media must adapt to these changes or risk losing their audience.
AI – An Opportunity, Not a Threat One of the key tools for the future of media, according to Daniel, is artificial intelligence. Bloomberg Adria is already using AI to analyze data and optimize content in real-time. “AI won’t replace journalists, but it will make their work easier,” Daniel claims, stressing that AI takes over repetitive tasks, allowing people to focus on more creative work. Automation is not a threat but an opportunity to increase efficiency and accuracy.
AI also plays a significant role in predicting user behavior and personalizing content. “Media that don’t integrate AI will face serious problems in the future,” Daniel warns.
Monetization in the Digital Era Media monetization is becoming increasingly complex as digital platforms take a larger market share. Fazlić believes that media companies can no longer rely on just one revenue stream, such as traditional advertising. “We can no longer have one monetization model, like advertising, dominating revenue,” Daniel says. To survive in this environment, it’s essential to develop multiple revenue streams.
Revenue diversification includes new models such as subscriptions, brand collaborations, and native advertising. “Subscriptions are becoming increasingly important as users seek exclusive and personalized content they are willing to pay for,” Daniel explains. Brands also play a crucial role in this new ecosystem, where media must carefully balance between authentic content and advertising messages. “Brand awareness, especially among younger audiences, is more important than ever. Young people are not loyal to brands in the way previous generations were,” he adds. To succeed, media must create content that is authentic, relevant, and tailored to the interests of the audience to capture and retain their attention.
FOMO and Endless Scrolling Social networks and digital platforms have significantly changed how we consume information, with one of the key phenomena being FOMO (fear of missing out). Daniel believes that this feeling, driven by the explosion of information available at all times, has strongly shaped audience habits. “People are constantly bombarded with information and feel pressure to keep up with the latest events,” he says, noting that such pressure reduces users’ ability to focus on one piece of content for a longer period.
The previously mentioned “endless scrolling” creates a habit of quickly switching from one piece of information to another, significantly reducing attention spans. “Media must learn how to compete in such an environment – how to offer content that is relevant and engaging enough to hold the audience’s attention,” Daniel emphasizes. In this new context, the key to success will be the ability of media houses to build strategies that combine short-form content with longer, deeper engagement.
Local Content – The Future of Media Although globalization provides faster and easier access to international news, Daniel believes that local content will never lose its value. “People love to read stories that relate to their community, to everyday problems and successes they can identify with,” he says. Local content offers the possibility of deeper audience connection and plays a key role in maintaining user loyalty.
“Quality local content tailored to the specific interests of the community will always have an audience, because in a time of global information chaos, local stories offer a sense of belonging and security,” Daniel emphasizes, noting that personalization is key here. Media that succeed in personalizing and localizing their content, allowing users to find information that is close and relevant to them, will have a significant advantage in the digital era.
For more insights on how niche media can succeed in today’s challenging environment, check out the second episode of SoMoCast.
