Media Insider: News Execs Navigate AI Deals, New Print Magazine to Cover the Podcast Industry
Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s roundup of media news stories from the week.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
News execs weigh deals with AI companies
Axios | Sara Fischer
News companies are trying to find new ways to structure deals with AI companies that would allow them to benefit from the technology, rather than be trampled by it. During a recent conference for news execs, News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson explained that negotiating the deals will fall on the industry itself. “There won’t be any coherent, cogent response in a regulatory way, so … it’s up to us — journalists to write about it, to explain it, and media companies to advocate where appropriate,” he said. Execs are working to address the impacts of AI on traffic from search engines and copyright protections, among other issues. Meanwhile, outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times, and BuzzFeed are actively working to find ways to utilize the tech in their newsrooms. But news companies’ mixed track record of negotiating with Big Tech companies makes the future unclear.
Read next: The Financial Times editor explains how the paper is thinking about AI.
Scripps Commits To Boost — And Better — Its News Coverage
TVNewsCheck | Michael Stahl
At a time when news of shuttering outlets and layoffs is dominating the media industry, E.W. Scripps Co. says it will try harder. In an email sent to employees, Scripps CEO Adam Symson announced a “news initiative,” in which the company will “invest nearly $10 million to increase compensation where needed to ensure we can attract and retain the best journalists” and “add about 250 on-the-ground resources to our local reporting teams.” A company statement elaborating on the scope of the effort said that each Scripps station will eventually be home to a minimum of 12 reporters, marking growth rates of 63% in large markets and 68% in small ones. Symson believes that delivering more “informative” broadcasts as opposed to “performative” ones will build trust with consumers and help to fulfill the company’s “fundamental responsibility” to deliver the news.
Read next: American Journalism Project CEO talks fundraising for local news.
The future of podcasts is getting written in print
The Verge | Amrita Khalid
Good Tape is a new biannual print magazine that is aiming to tell untold stories within the podcast industry. The publication will feature a mix of journalism and cultural criticism about audio storytelling — focusing on lesser-known creators and independent modes of production. Good Tape co-founder Alana Hope Levinson says of the planned coverage, “I’m thinking cultural histories that analyze influences and sounds, essays that say what everyone is too scared to, profiles of people who are doing things differently.” Why a print magazine? Co-founder Dane Cardiel says, “Our digital consumption habits have left younger generations fatigued and overwhelmed. As our lives are increasingly mediated by digital interactions, there’s something restoring about engaging with physical media and analog technologies.” The first issue of Good Tape is scheduled to be released in the fall.
Read next: The Pulitzer Prize Board announced significant revisions to the definitions of the Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography categories.
The Information’s Journalism Summer School
The Information | Staff
The Information will host a virtual summer school on June 28 for students aspiring to a career in journalism and working journalists looking for advice or mentorship as they advance in their careers. The event will connect aspiring journalists across career stages with industry leaders to inform, inspire and help navigate the news landscape. The day will feature fireside chats, panels, and 1-on-1 “office hours” between attendees and mentors. Speakers from The Washington Post, Semafor, Axios, Vox, and more will be in attendance.
Read next: Time is collaborating with the Outrider Foundation on a fellowship to support reporting on nuclear security.
Most Nonprofit Newsrooms Saw Revenue Increases In 2022, Study Finds
MediaPost | Ray Schultz
According to the INN Index Snapshot 2023, a study by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), digital-first nonprofit news outlets saw revenue grow by about 19%, totaling just under $500 million, from 2021 to 2022. Of the outlets reporting revenue for the study, 60% saw an improvement in 2022. INN members also saw a 15% increase in workforce size, and nearly 4,000 people are now employed, 2,700 of whom are editorial staffers, including reporters, editors, and other types of journalists.
Read next: Meet the one-person team behind Antarctica’s longest-running newspaper, the Antarctic Sun.
Subscribe to Beyond Bylines to get media trends, journalist interviews, blogger profiles, and more sent right to your inbox.
Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
