Digital transformation was the axis of Eduardo Hernández’s message, CEO of El País de Cali, during his participation in SIP Connect 2026. The Dominican executive stated that modernizing a medium with 76 years of history requires much more than adopting new tools: it requires changing the culture of writing, internal processes, and the way news is produced.
The digital transformation of El País de Cali is presented, thus, as an urgent case of adaptation in an industry where the audience consumes information on multiple screens and demands speed, context, and trust. Hernández summarized that pressure with a compelling idea: “The future of the media is in AI”.
El País de Cali is one of the most recognized newspapers in southwestern Colombia, and its trajectory obliges it to balance legacy and change. In that scenario, the digital transformation cannot be limited to publishing faster or opening new formats; it also implies reorganizing editorial routines, training teams, and redefining which human tasks should coexist with automated systems.
Hernández explained that the modernization of a newsroom does not work if only technology is bought. The starting point, according to his vision, is internal: a newsroom that does not adopt new dynamics will hardly sustain a digital transformation in reality.
Digital transformation and writing culture
In traditional media with a long trajectory, one of the biggest challenges is usually resistance to change. The digital transformation requires integrating profiles, reviewing work flows, and accepting that artificial intelligence can help with repetitive tasks such as transcription, content classification, and support for data analysis.
- Digital transformation with a focus on operational efficiency.
- Digital transformation oriented towards new consumption habits.
- Digital transformation supported by artificial intelligence.
Digital transformation and artificial intelligence in newsrooms
The discussion about AI in the media is no longer theoretical. In the journalistic industry, its use has expanded to editing processes, content personalization, and audience analysis. However, responsible adoption remains key to avoiding errors, biases, or excessive dependence on automation. In that context, the digital transformation also implies maintaining solid editorial criteria.
“The future of the media is in AI”, Eduardo Hernández stated, referring to the course of El País de Cali.
The case presented in SIP Connect 2026 confirms a global trend: the media that survive best in market changes are those that combine technological innovation with clear editorial decisions. In that line, the digital transformation stops being a slogan and becomes a condition of survival.
For Hernández, the key is not only in incorporating tools, but in building a newsroom capable of adapting without losing rigor. That is the basis on which El País de Cali tries to accelerate its digital transformation, at a time when the competitive information is faster, more fragmented, and more demanding than ever. The digital transformation will continue to mark the debate in the media of the region, and El País de Cali wants to be on the side of those who lead it.
