Latest Exclusive Tech Reporting from E&P

Why local publishers must seize the streaming audio revolution now

Remember when we said FAST channels would disrupt local TV? The same revolution is happening in audio, and publishers can’t afford to ignore it. With 83% of adults tuning into AM/FM radio (Nielsen) but over half of spoken-word listening now on digital devices (NPR), local media can leverage this shift to disrupt audio markets using their brand strength, audience trust, and advertiser relationships—no FCC license required.

Hindsight and adaptation: How local media is rethinking digital advertising

There is evidence that the news industry and all local legacy media are reinventing themselves to be better positioned to battle for their share of digital ad dollars. E&P recently spoke with three industry executives who talked about the need for local media to catch up to make a digital transformation and help their advertisers do the same, as well as the importance of changing the sales culture at local media companies.

X, in decline: Faced with few alternatives, journalists can at least apply practical guardrails to the Musk-owned platform

X, a platform once beloved by journalists, has become borderline unusable for a group that had been among its most devoted addicts. Since no one platform seems ready to replace X for journalists, E&P columnist Rob Tornoe offers a handful of suggestions that might improve your experience.

From transcription to trust: How AI is transforming news production

Though technological innovation moves at lightning speed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains in a fledgling phase. News organizations are understandably grappling with what AI means to both operations and long-term sustainability. Nicholas Diakopoulos, Ph.D., is dedicated to discovering those answers. He’s a communication studies and computer science professor at Northwestern University and the director of the Computational Journalism Lab (CJL). E&P asked Dr. Diakopoulos about his work in AI, automation and algorithms for news production, and some of the most often-asked AI questions we hear from readers.

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!
Tasaka's Tech Talk

Why build a FAST channel: The business case for streaming

In today’s media landscape, video consumption is exploding. The Paris Olympics, the most-streamed in history at 82% higher than the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, proves that digital video is the present, not the future. This shift presents a unique opportunity for local newspaper publishers: FAST channels.

Searching for search traffic

Over the past few months, news organizations have grappled with changes at Google that have led to a dramatic drop in organic search traffic. Publishers have been forced to navigate what appears to be seismic shifts in how Google doles out traffic, with the integration of artificial intelligence (which remains unintelligent and error-prone) causing panic attacks across the industry.

Forbes presents publisher worries about AI

Randall Lane, the chief content officer at Forbes Media and editor at Forbes magazine, penned a June 11, 2024 column — “Why Perplexity’s Cynical Theft Represents Everything That Could Go Wrong With AI” — citing a dispute with major AI developer, Perplexity. E&P followed up with Lane to better understand what happened and to seek his advice to other news media publishers grappling with the copyright-AI conflict.

A fledgling AI publisher partnership takes flight

In the generative AI space, primarily dominated by tech developers like OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, Perplexity.ai seeks distinction. E&P spoke with the company’s chief business officer, Dmitry Shevelenko, in late July, a day after the company revealed its new Perplexity Publishers Program.

News publishers vs. generative AI: Can copyright law keep up?

There is growing angst in the news media community about how their products ­— the journalism they create, at no small expense — are being used to train the Generative AI Large Language Models (LLMs). They wonder whether copyright law will protect them, whether they should sue over copyright violations or agree to license and compensation terms offered by AI developers. E&P sought to understand these dilemmas better, so we asked news media publishers and advocates how they think these relationships will come to pass.

XR’s potential for local media (part 2)

Remember when we said more people use VR headsets in the U.S. than subscribe to a newspaper? That number will continue to grow in 2024 and beyond. It’s time to dive deeper into what that means for local media publishers.

Beyond print and digital: XR’s potential for local media

If we were to tell you that more people have VR headsets in the U.S. than those who subscribe to a newspaper — print and digital subscriptions combined — would you consider it a viable new frontier? The reality is extended reality (XR) — the catch-all term encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality — has slowly grown under the radar. 

Concerned about your news organization’s plummeting search traffic?

In recent months, the amount of organic search traffic Google has been sending to publishers has fallen off a cliff. Newsrooms nationwide — from Boston to Seattle, from the Jersey Shore to Southern California — have watched their formerly reliable search traffic numbers and page rankings plummet. The big question is — why? Well, it’s complicated.
Tech Talk

Local TV's disruption creates opportunities for news publishers

The landscape of local television is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by technological advancements and changing viewer behaviors. As cable and satellite subscriptions continue to decline, local news stations face consolidation, network affiliate programming transforms, and new opportunities emerge for innovative content delivery. These trends not only challenge traditional broadcasting models but also open up avenues for news publishers to reimagine their roles in serving local communities. E&P's Guy Tasaka explores four key predictions that outline the future of local TV and strategies for thriving amidst this disruption.
#NewsMedia Industry Tech News

The News/Media Alliance commends the Bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Task Force on their leadership and thorough work in publishing their report that examines the issues surrounding the rapid growth and implementation of artificial intelligence.

This year’s Person of the Year experience goes beyond the page, introducing an interactive platform that tailors content to individual readers. For the first time, audiences can experience this year’s story through customizable formats.
Earlier this year, the WSJ owner sued Perplexity for failing to properly license its content. Now its research tool Factiva has negotiated its own AI licensing deals.
One of the co-creators of ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode has struck out on his own with the launch of WaveForm, a startup creating an audio AI system capable of capturing more nuance than rival approaches.
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.
Regulators and researchers have been eyeing watermarking as a potential flame-reducer for AI harms like copyright infringement and the generation of disinformation and fake news sites. But while it is a step in the right direction, SynthID could face the same challenges as many other AI safety initiatives. Determined individuals who want to circumvent the system often find a way.
The New York Times is picking another fight in the AI world.
Hearst has announced a new content partnership with OpenAI which will integrate Hearst's extensive newspaper and domestic magazine content into OpenAI's products, enhancing the utility and reach of both companies' offerings.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a landmark bill aimed at establishing first-in-the-nation safety measures for large artificial intelligence models.
OpenAI is planning to convert from a nonprofit organization to a for-profit company at the same time it is undergoing major personnel shifts including the abrupt resignation Wednesday of its chief technology officer, Mira Murati.
For one German reporter, the statistical underpinnings of a large language model meant his many bylines were wrongly warped into a lengthy rap sheet.