Is the Future Modular? Mapping Preferences, Benefits, and Risks of Modular Journalism across three Audience Segments

One of the ways in which GenAI could change the future of news is modular journalism (MJ) – presenting news in novel, more fluid, personalized and interactive formats that respond and adjust to the individual preferences of users. Being more responsive to users' individual needs through AI-supported forms of personalization could unlock new ways of catering to diverse or underserved audiences, and potentially even reduce news avoidance and information overload or serve as the foundation for new news experiences. This study investigates audience evaluations and willingness to pay for MJ through focus groups (N=26) with three diverse user segments: basic subscribers, adolescents, and individuals with migration backgrounds. Findings reveal that particularly young adults and individuals with migration backgrounds are interested in MJ, valuing flexibility and engagement, though concerns exist about oversimplification of serious topics. Participants favor personalization with user agency over algorithmic curation to preserve content diversity. Willingness to pay is mixed; MJ alone has limited appeal but adds value when integrated into existing subscriptions. Young adults are most willing to pay, especially with trial access. These findings illustrate that there is a potential for MJ to engage audiences with customizable formats, user-controlled personalization, and editorial integrity, and in doing so enhance accessibility, and potentially reduce news avoidance.