The University leads NEXTDIGIMEDIA, a pioneering project to investigate artificial intelligence in digital media in Spain
The project has been funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
01 | 09 | 2025
Artificial intelligence is transforming journalism and the media ecosystem worldwide. To study this phenomenon in depth in Spain, the University of Navarra, in partnership with the University of Santiago de Compostela, has launched the project NEXTDIGIMEDIAproject, funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The project starts from the hypothesis that AI is redefining content production, interaction with audiences and the ethical frameworks of journalism. To this end, it studies the implications of automated creation tools, advanced data analysis and personalization systems.
Through scenario design methodologies, it will guide the media industry and journalism professionals in their AI adoption process. The project pursues five main objectives: to identify models of AI adoption in Spanish digital media, to study the role of AI in the journalistic value chain, to analyze the effects of AI on the dynamics of journalistic work , to evaluate the impact of AI on the quality of information and democracy, and finally to design future scenarios that guide journalists, media, academics and public decision-makers towards a sustainable and manager integration of AI in journalism.
Ramón Salaverría, principal researcher , emphasized that "the project we are launching today is a tangible sample of the School of Communication's desire to investigate and be at the forefront of changes that have not yet occurred. AI poses many challenges and also a great variety of opportunities to redefine the quality of journalism and the dynamics of work".
Alfonso Vara, principal researcher of the project, pointed out that "the economic implications that the impact of AI in newsrooms can have are very varied and can affect the quality of information and journalistic independence, so this project aims to analyze and also propose improvements or processes that help its proper use".
With a duration of four years (2025-2029), NEXTDIGIMEDIA is driven by the research center Digital Unav and coordinated by the School of Communication of the University of Navarra. The project brings together consolidated research teams from different disciplines, from communication and Economics to artificial intelligence, who have been working together for more than two decades in the analysis of digital journalism.
