Changing Information Channels

New technologies and new perspectives are giving rise to new channels of information dissemination. These channels, like TikTok or gaming platforms, are shaped by audiences seeking new forms of contact and expression and transforming what it means to be a legitimate information source. 

Higher Education 3.0

Traditional educational models are under pressure as trends in work, technology, and student expectations, along with the disruptions of COVID-19, creating needs for new curricula, modes of instruction, and funding models. Higher education is facing new threats of disintermediation by online education and alternative credentialing systems. Enrollment could be increased and diversified by new approaches to admissions and student debt.

Hybrid Meetings 

The pandemic-propelled surge in online meetings is driving a growing a need for content and structures that engage online and face-to-face participants. Developing technologies will open participation and generate novel experiences, but best practices have yet to be institutionalized. Innovations in augmented reality, virtual reality, and telepresence will create new modes of interaction that further blur the boundaries between online and face-to-face formats.

Rejection of Expertise 

Public skepticism toward credentialed experts and institutions is growing. Expert pronouncements have reduced impact on public perception, with the public turning instead to non-credentialed and “unofficial” sources for guidance and information. At the same time, information is increasingly able to route around gatekeepers. In response, new frameworks and institutions for curbing the spread of misinformation are being developed. 

A Shifting Environment for Content 

Content producers face an increasingly challenging environment. Audiences are fragmented and distracted, and they expect to be entertained and informed for free. Delivery channels are shifting rapidly for both economic and technological reasons, a trend likely to accelerate over the medium-term future. 

Updated 2022