Good afternoon from the team at Press Gazette on Thursday, 25 June.
Today’s newsletter is supported by FT Strategies – consulting from the Financial Times.
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🚨 If the Met Office did warnings for the impact of AI on the news industry the level today would be nudging towards red.
Google’s AI-written answers are killing website traffic while increasingly sophisticated and aggressive bots are stealing and selling our content.
For all the talk of AI content marketplaces being created by the tech platforms, nothing is happening apart from a few sweetheart deals with the biggest publishers.
To discuss how the industry responds to all this, fast, Press Gazette has convened an emergency AI and Publishing Leadership Summit in Westminster on 30 June (next Tuesday) from 2.30pm.
Speakers include: head of AI Strategy at Mediahuis Ana Jakimovska, VP of generative AI at The Economist Josh Muncke, former culture minister Lord Ed Vaizey, managing director of public policy at Daily Mail Owen Meredith and CEO of Candr Media Chris Dicker.
If you are in a leadership position at a news publisher and are currently wrestling with some of the existential questions AI disruption poses, this event will be well worth your time.
Register your interest below (preference given to those working in senior roles at publishing companies).
REGISTER HERE
📉 The impact of all this AI disruption is evident in the latest ranking of the top 50 news websites in the UK.
According to Ipsos iris, just 12 out of the top 50 UK news websites grew their audience in May. Some 30 sites lost more than 10% of their traffic year on year including highly trusted sources such as Money Saving Expert and Sky News.
Previously insurgent newsbrand GB News is now falling fast, down 38% year on year in terms of website reach. And six major Reach regional sites were down more than 20% year on year as they continue to feel the effects of an implosion in referral traffic from Google Discover (which had previously made up for falling search clicks).
Substack continues to record strong growth in the UK, underlining the importance of email newsletters and the success of its creator ecosystem.
READ THE FULL STORY
💻 UK B2B tech newsbrand The Stack has managed to nearly triple the size of its email newsletter audience after acquiring US title Runtime.
Founder Ed Targett explained to us why, when it comes to writing about enterprise IT systems, the quality of audience is all important. An article could have ten readers, but if they control technology budgets worth billions between them they are incredibly valuable for advertisers.
The Stack has managed to grow the size of its team despite cutbacks across much of the technology journalism sector.
Targett said a focus on high-quality sponsored content has been key as well as an early focus on building the brand’s Linkedin profile following its launch (backed by a £300 overdraft) in 2020.
READ THE FULL STORY
Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter said The Washington Post was selling sponsored AI answers. In fact chief revenue officer Karl Wells said the technology behind the brand’s Ask the Post in-house chatbot has been turned into an advertising product.
The Future Newsrooms Study, created by FT Strategies in partnership with WAN-IFRA and supported by Arc XP, draws on insights from 448 newsroom leaders across 62 countries to explore the trends shaping the future of journalism.
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• How publishers are adapting their organisations, workflows and strategies for long-term success
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Ex-BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has launched a Substack where he says he will post once a week (with no plans for paid subscribers) two years after he admitted accessing indecent images of children. "There will be some who do not wish to read my work, and I respect that choice." (Substack)
The BBC is planning to make its 24-hour rolling news channel available on Youtube in select countries outside of the UK, with Australia one territory under discussion. (Deadline)
Social media profiles linked to independent media in Brazil are reportedly being removed ahead of elections, Brazilian journalism group Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas has reported. (LatAm Journalism Review)
Romanian news site Hot News has reached 1,500 paying subscribers within one month. A subscription includes exclusive content and newsletters, comments priority, a 40% discount for books and access to The New York Times. (Center for Sustainable Media)
A US appeals court has refused to pause an $800-per-day fine against investigative journalist Catherine Herridge who refused to identify confidential sources. (Freedom of the Press Foundation)
Key insights from Press Gazette’s News Yacht event at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
Follows New York state bid to stop deceptive bots which fuel ‘$1bn’ content trading market.
Investment set to help Uncensored become ‘truly global media platform’.
Connection between greenhouse emmissions and extreme heat in UK ‘indisputable’.
Consultation to examine how ‘trustworthy’ news publishers should be categorised.
Candr Media CEO Chris Dicker has seen its flagship website – Trusted Reviews – be pillaged by AI bots over the last 18 months.
He spoke to Press Gazette about a new legal tactic that uses a branch of law dating back to the Romans to secure justice and perhaps force big tech to the negotiating table.
Listen now
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