Sydney Morning Herald and The Age publisher Nine grew its YouTube revenue fivefold thanks to a range of live newsroom experiments just reported.

YouTube subscribers also grew sixfold during the initiatives, which fostered a 245 per cent increase in watch time, as well as a 425 per cent increase in weekly digital subscribers via a ‘for subscribers’ hard paywall.

The outcomes are presented in a report by Google News Initiative and Bastion Transform, led by Bastion managing director Gaven Morris. Morris was previously News director of the ABC, which he left at the end of 2021 after a little more than six years there, and time at Al Jazeera.

The GNI/Bastion experiments also featured the National Indigenous Times – which achieved a 20 per cent increase in content output – and at BusinessDesk New Zealand.

A “transformative initiative” spanning nine months sought to foster innovation, growth, and editorial excellence, with each newsroom using the experimental framework to explore new digital territories, challenge existing journalism and production practices and test hypotheses.

Morris says newsroom innovation is crucial to maintaining a leading editorial position and audience growth. “Innovation in newsrooms is not an option – it’s essential for journalism to keep pace with contemporary audiences as people change their news and information consumption habits.

“Great stories told well are never dying, and experimenting with new techniques and technology means newsrooms can stay relevant,” he says.

The framework facilitated six content pilots addressing challenges in storytelling, resourcing, workflows, platforms, data, and technology, resulting in unexpected editorial, cultural, and business transformations.

BusinessDesk publisher and general manager Matt Martel said they found the innovation framework “incredibly useful”, and are now applying it in areas of the NZME group.

Collaborating with Google on a ground-breaking new AI offering, the masthead delivered information faster, freeing up journalist time for investigative reporting.

“Our AI content, the subject of the first experiment, has grown from strength to strength, and is now a key pillar of our marketing and public persona.”

At National Indigenous Times, newsroom productivity grew 20 per cent, and readership of international affairs reporting grew significantly. “Relationships with news partners have been deepened, and our journalists are now more keenly focused on readership metrics driving our editorial focus” chief executive Reece Harley said.

Nine Publishing executive editor Tory Maguire said she wanted to “try things our newsroom has never ventured to do, across content and the way we operate.

“It is hugely successful and next time we can be more radical now that we’ve got runs on the board.”

Pictured: The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age YouTube channel