How Rheinische Post Built an AI Governance Model Aligned with Digital Subscriber Growth Goals

Rheinische Post Mediengruppe (RPM) has aligned its artificial intelligence initiatives with its broader digital transformation strategy to support the goal of growing its digital subscriber base to 250,000, according to Margret Seeger, Group Head of AI at the publisher.

Headquartered in Düsseldorf, RPM’s flagship newspaper has a daily circulation of 208,000, and the company holds majority stakes in local titles including General-Anzeiger in Bonn and Saarbrücker Zeitung in Saarland. In March 2026, the group announced the acquisition of Westfälische Medien Holding, publisher of Westfälische Nachrichten and other local titles, a deal recently approved by regulatory officials.

RPM began exploring generative AI at the end of 2022 following the release of ChatGPT, initially without company-wide rules or strategy. When Seeger assumed her role in 2024, she oversaw AI efforts, developed a clear strategy, and ensured organisational alignment. Rather than creating a separate AI strategy, she chose to integrate AI activities into RPM’s existing digital transformation goals.

“AI can help us achieve this goal faster, better, with higher quality, and sometimes also at a lower cost,” Seeger said, explaining that this approach has enabled the development of more than 20 AI projects across the organisation, spanning the newsroom, print production, sales, and customer service.

Governance structure built on three pillars

RPM established a clear AI governance framework described by Seeger as a “crucial factor of success.” The three-part structure includes the Group Head of AI, who supervises all AI initiatives, their planning and resourcing; AI Taskforces covering all departments with operational responsibility for bottom-up implementation; and an AI Council comprising top management, taskforce leads, and business unit directors to ensure strategic orientation and alignment with broader company goals.

To support adoption, RPM created an AI Academy, a centralised structure for tools and training described by Seeger as “one of the biggest investments” in its AI efforts. The Academy has provided AI training to more than 1,000 employees and is now shifting focus to top management to ensure leadership understands AI options and how to lead in an AI world.

“If you haven’t started [AI training] yet, think about making it at least somewhat mandatory. Because the problem isn’t AI or the technology, but the problem is that our organisations aren’t mature enough to deal with the technology,” Seeger said.

AI projects across the value chain

RPM initially built its own solution for internal AI use before switching to Langdock, an AI integration platform, at the end of 2025. Seeger noted that after only a few months, about a thousand employees were using the platform to create their own tools, calling it “the fastest adoption I’ve ever seen of a tool in our company.”

The company currently has more than 20 active AI projects across its value chain. Some of the highest returns on investment have come from projects outside the newsroom, including automated creation of print pages and customer service processes that are now 80% automated.

When proposing a new AI project, employees must first identify the customer problem being solved, required data and processes, and expected adoption in daily work. Seeger stressed that the last question is crucial: “Pilots can be very fancy, but when it comes to getting them across the newsroom and our 600 journalists, you really have to have a system in place that helps you make it work in real life.”

One unsuccessful initiative involved cloning voices from the newsroom for audio versions of articles, which was abandoned due to limited usage relative to costs.

In 2026, focus on ‘lighthouse initiatives’

RPM has shifted from experimentation to “lighthouse initiatives” – larger, more specific AI-powered projects. For editorial, this includes a research assistant to analyse local public documents and new data tools. Sales and customer service are doubling down on using large language models and agents to streamline processes.

To support B2B sales, RPM is developing a tool with an external agency that will crawl Meta’s and LinkedIn’s platforms to identify branded posts as potential clients and create leads for sales representatives. The tool is currently in an alpha phase.

Seeger said that 80 percent of RPM’s AI projects have specific objectives, while the remaining 20 percent are deemed necessary even if their direct return on investment is difficult to quantify.

“AI is coming into our lives with a massive force,” Seeger concluded. To prepare, news leaders must act fast to identify the right AI projects and ensure their organisations are ready in terms of skill profiles, processes, and decision-making.