According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, global concerns about AI-Powered news production and misinformation are growing, bringing new hurdles to newsrooms already trying to engage audiences
The institute’s annual Digital News Report, published on Monday, reflects the challenges that news media organizations encounter in generating revenue and maintaining profitability. This year’s report is based on surveys of nearly 100,000 individuals in 47 countries.
Globally, newsrooms are striving to confront a novel obstacle in the form of generative artificial intelligence. This is due to the development of tools by tech titans and startups such as Google and OpenAI, which can extract traffic from news websites and provide information summaries.
However, the report discovered that consumers need to be more skeptical of using AI to generate news content, particularly concerning sensitive topics like politics.
The survey revealed that 52% of respondents in the United States and 63% in the United Kingdom expressed discomfort with news primarily produced using AI.
The report surveyed 2,000 individuals in each country and observed that respondents were more at ease with using AI to enhance the efficiency of journalists’ work in the background.
Nic Newman, senior research associate at the Reuters Institute and principal author of the Digital News Report, expressed his surprise at the extent of the suspicion. “People broadly feared what might happen to content reliability and trust.”
Concerns regarding online fraudulent news content increased by three percentage points from the previous year, with 59% of survey respondents expressing concern.
This figure was higher in South Africa and the U.S., at 81% and 72%, respectively, as both countries are holding elections this year, according to the report.
The general reluctance of audiences to pay for news subscriptions is another challenge that news organizations are currently confronting.
The report stated that 17% of respondents in 20 countries reported paying for online news, which has remained constant for the past three years despite some growth during the pandemic.
Additionally, a substantial number of news subscribers in the United States were likely to be paying discounted rates due to trials or promotions, with 46% of subscribers paying less than the total price for their subscriptions.
CHANGING TO OTHER SOLUTIONS
Users of popular online platforms such as TikTok increasingly receive news from news influencers rather than traditional media organizations.
In a survey of over 5,600 TikTok users who reported using the app for news, 57% indicated that they primarily focused on individual personalities. In contrast, 34% said they mainly followed journalists or news organizations.
According to Newman, the results indicate that newsrooms must establish a direct relationship with their audiences and
“strategically utilize the platforms to connect with individuals who are more difficult to reach, such as younger audiences.” “These influencers have a bigger role on the platforms.”
Some survey respondents cited Vitus “V” Spehar, a TikTok creator with 3.1 million followers, as one news personality. Spehar has gained recognition for its distinctive approach to delivering the day’s top headlines while lying on the floor beneath its desk.
They have previously disclosed to Reuters that this approach is intended to provide a more delicate perspective on current events and contrast with the traditional model of a news anchor who sits at a desk.
The Digital News Report surveyed individuals in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, and Brazil, requesting that they identify up to three mainstream or alternative accounts that they follow for news.
The report noted that the top 10 individuals in the United States who respondents cited are most renowned for their political commentary rather than their original newsgathering.
Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News anchor, Joe Rogan, the presenter of the most popular podcast on Spotify, and David Pakman, a progressive talk radio host, were among the individuals in question.