Steve Ahern is a broadcast manager, trainer, consultant and publisher of the radioinfo and RadioToday trade journals. The newest edition of his textbook Making Radio and Podcasts will be released this year. Steve received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his work in making the world a better place through media.

For over a century, electronic media has played its part in shaping the modern world. How will it shape the next century?

The technology is constantly changing, but the principles that have made media a positive force in society should remain at the core of what we do, even in the face of so much change.

I have been part of several international media conferences in the past two months where I have seen the next set of technological changes:

• Cloud workflow is developing further
• Voice and image cloning is maturing
• AI production tools are becoming more useful
• Automated radio is about to jump another step
• Advertising sales platforms are evolving again
• Integrated news production tools are getting cheaper
• Gaming is crossing genres
• AI generated social media is disrupting the social media status quo
• AI enhanced search is delivering information faster and more succinctly

It's an exciting time to be working in media, we are creating the future as we live it. But at times like this, it’s sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees. There is so much change around us that it is easier to focus only on the tree trunks, without being able to see the whole forest and find the best path forward.

In a divided world, our industry has a role to play in embracing complexity, building understanding, uniting communities and promoting peace.

At the NAB Show this week I have been talking to broadcasters who care passionately about their communities. They are the great examples of media industry leaders who see their audience not just as a revenue source or a position in the ratings chart, but as people living in a sometimes confusing and unsettling contemporary society. They are working hard to unite their communities, make each person feel valued and to give them what they need.

If the audience has had enough of the news and just wants to escape, what they need at that moment is a radio format or a tv program that helps them relax for a little while. If the audience wants to lean into the news to make sense of the world, they need informative content. The best of these broadcasters are not exploiting division or dumbing down the news content, they are having civil conversations that allow enough time to explore the issues. Those who are entertaining audiences are doing so with shows that have humour, positive themes and inclusivity.

However, there are troubles below the surface: disinformation, digital competitors, artificial intelligence, revenue decline, outdated measurement systems and unknown consequences of technological change. Responsible broadcasters and publishers are facing challenges from these areas.

As our media industries continue to do the best for their societies in the face of changes and challenges, they are playing an important role in shaping the future. To those media leaders who are making the world a better place, I say thank you.

Look at the whole forest not the tree, nurture your staff, champion responsible media practices, support diversity of views, not echo chambers, and have intelligent respectful conversations that inform your audience.

Keep up the good work!