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A legal stand against Google: Wyatt Emmerich on Helena World v. Google and the battle for journalism’s future

In a landmark case with significant implications for journalism and democracy, Emmerich Newspapers Inc., Helena World Chronicle and Boone Newspapers have joined forces in a class-action lawsuit against Google, challenging what they describe as an unfair “tying” relationship. Filed in December 2023, Helena World Chronicle LLC v. Google LLC alleges that Google’s control over search and content indexing is undermining publishers’ abilities to attract traffic and monetize content independently. In this interview, Wyatt Emmerich, president of Emmerich Newspapers, shared insights into the lawsuit’s motivations, the road ahead, and what’s at stake for the news industry.

Public Pulse

The best conference of the year that you didn’t attend

LION Publishers' annual Independent News Sustainability Summit was brimming with sessions and hallway discussions about the same challenges we face in public media. How do we grow our audiences? What forms and formats of information best serve our communities? And, above all: How in the heck are we going to pay for all of this?

Jumping on the AI train: An actionable guide for news publishers

AI is a moving target. It’s overwhelming. It’s moving faster than any technology we’ve ever had in the modern era. Many people don’t even know what they don’t know, but more importantly, they don’t know where to start. Here are five things publishers need to do TODAY!

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies continues as a dedicated supporter of journalists and a leading source of publishing innovation. During a period of news industry disruption, contraction and reinvention, Poynter has created and offers numerous services and programs to sustain its mission “to teach, inform, empower and convene.”
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Jordan Hedberg, who owns and runs the weekly Wet Mountain Tribune in the small southern Colorado town of Westcliffe, got shellacked. Pounded. Totally tanked. At least at the polls, anyway. Turns out, the local newspaper publisher had made an unconventional decision to run for the board of Custer County commission. And as an unaffiliated candidate, no less.

All employees at The Washington Post will be expected to return to the office by June 2. Managers must be back in the office full time by Feb. 3.
Donald Trump will likely dial back some of the antitrust policies pursued under the administration of President Joe Biden, potentially including a bid to break up Alphabet's Google over its dominance in online search, experts said.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to go after much of the media in his second term, threatening to jail journalists, revoke broadcast licenses and target outlets with a flurry of lawsuits. It’s a playbook he’s threatened to use before.
Raw Story and AlterNet jointly sued OpenAI for using thousands of their news articles to train ChatGPT in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
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Inside the Lenfest-OpenAI-Microsoft partnership: One-on-one with Jim Friedlich

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft, has introduced a $10 million AI Collaborative and Fellowship program to support innovation, sustainability, and new business models across five major U.S. metro newsrooms. Lenfest CEO Jim Friedlich, in a discussion on E&P Reports, highlighted how the initiative leverages AI for diverse newsroom applications, from business model optimization to increasing public data accessibility. The program aims to restore the depth of local reporting through AI-assisted research, enabling newsrooms to cover more ground with limited resources. Beyond the initial fellows, the program aspires to scale its impact, offering frameworks and tools for industry-wide adoption that reinforce the sustainability of journalism in an AI-driven future.

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Although the daily challenges of reporting and publishing have never been greater, both must continue to evolve. Being a leader of that change is the mission of Julia Angwin and her team at Proof News, which she founded in February 2024 and serves as its CEO.
As E&P’s Publisher of the Year, Elinor Ruth Tatum, publisher and editor-in-chief of the New York Amsterdam News, makes history for the 140-year-old magazine. She is the first Black woman to receive the honor. E&P Publisher Mike Blinder surprised Tatum with the Publisher of the Year award during a Zoom attended by more than 30 current and former staff members, freelance contributors, community leaders, friends and industry peers. Each chimed in to offer congratulations.
Unsurprisingly, it has been challenging for legacy news organizations to transition from an older, lucrative business model that once served the community well to a sustainable business model that serves the community better. That challenge hasn’t deterred Reade Brower, a leader in local media in Maine, and Kathleen Fleury Capetta, publisher, from reimagining a news outlet for the communities of mid-coast Maine.
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BBC America now fully and officially belongs to AMC Networks. The company revealed that it acquired the remaining 50.1% of the channel from BBC Studios in a deal that took place last Friday.
Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ are adapting their monetization strategies, leading to increased revenue despite short-term churn.
The Washington Post has debuted “Ask The Post AI,” a generative AI tool leveraging the publication’s deeply-sourced, fact-based journalism to deliver summary answers and curated results directly to users.
Paramount Global’s streaming business posted its second consecutive profitable quarter, as the entertainment company prepares to merge with David Ellison’s Skydance Media.
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The Washington Informer, sought to expand its online presence while retaining its commitment to impactful, community-focused journalism. Adopting Nota’s AI-powered empowered them to meet the demands of a modern media landscape, making their unique content more accessible and engaging. This digital evolution enables The Informer to stay relevant and impactful, reinforcing its legacy in the community while embracing new technologies that drive efficiency, growth, and deeper audience connections.

The Chestnut Hill Local of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has selected SCS to provide its Community Advertising System and Community Publishing System.
Newsrooms can harness the power of AI to deliver personalized election content, track real-time voter sentiment, and optimize for engagement and revenue growth. AI tools, such as Nota and Chartbeat, can analyze user data and sentiment shifts, helping publishers provide tailored content that resonates with specific audiences. By enhancing reader experiences and streamlining workflows, AI empowers media companies to improve audience engagement and maximize advertising opportunities during the high-stakes election season. Ultimately, these strategies not only boost revenue but also ensure that voters stay well-informed and engaged with crucial election coverage.
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Discover how the Houston Defender, one of the nation’s most respected African American newspapers, transformed its newsroom’s efficiency and impact with the power of AI. In this exclusive Webinar, learn how NOTA’s assistive tools helped the Defender streamline content creation, enhance audience engagement, and stay true to its mission of delivering quality, community-focused journalism. Don’t miss this opportunity to see firsthand how innovative technology can empower your team to produce impactful stories while optimizing resources.

In the world of local journalism, the need for both cost-effectiveness and cutting-edge technology is becoming increasingly critical, especially for mid-sized newspapers. The New Jersey Hills Media Group (NMG) recently embraced a new technological partner: Newzware. This business software platform, developed by ICANON Associates, is designed to help publishers streamline operations, reduce costs, and focus on the core mission of local journalism. The transition proved to be a turning point in how NMG manages its operations, providing solutions for editorial, advertising, circulation, and finance.
To enhance its already successful “Best of the Best” campaign, the Tampa Bay Times partnered with Elite Insights to address a missed opportunity in digital advertising. With Elite Insights’ software and expertise, the Times integrated a streamlined digital strategy, allowing its sales team to focus on selling while Elite handled logistics. This collaboration led to impressive results, including a 260% revenue increase and over 425,000 community votes, setting a new standard for digital engagement.
209 Multimedia recently streamlined its legal notice and obituary management with the help of Column’s Public Notice Platform, transforming an otherwise labor-intensive process into an efficient workflow. Saresa Shutes, who oversees legal notices, obituaries, and classifieds, previously spent hours manually handling ads, a process prone to human error. Now, thanks to Column, Shutes can process legal ads five times faster while drastically reducing mistakes, saving time and money for the company.