According to a report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, growing global concerns over the use of AI in news production and misinformation are posing new challenges for news organizations that are already struggling to attract audiences.
The institute's annual Digital News Report, released Monday and based on a survey of about 100,000 people in 47 countries this year, highlights the obstacles news media face in making money and staying in business.
As tech giants like Google and OpenAI, as well as startups, develop tools that can provide summaries and siphon traffic from news sites, newsrooms around the world are grappling with new challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence.
However, the report found that consumers are skeptical of AI being used to create news content, especially around sensitive topics like politics.
The survey found that 52% of respondents in the US and 63% in the UK said they would be uncomfortable with news that was primarily produced by AI. The report, which surveyed 2,000 people in each country, noted that respondents were more comfortable with AI being used behind the scenes to make journalists' jobs more efficient.
“We were surprised by the level of suspicion,” said Nick Newman, senior researcher at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the digital news report. “People were widely worried about what would happen to the credibility and trust of content.” Concerns about fake news content online are up three percentage points from last year, with 59% of survey respondents saying they are worried. The figures are higher in South Africa and the United States, at 81% and 72%, respectively, both of which are heading into elections this year, the report said.
Another challenge facing news organisations is audience unwillingness to pay for news subscriptions.
The report found that while there has been a slight increase during the pandemic, 17% of respondents across 20 countries said they paid for online news, a figure that has remained stable for the past three years.
A significant percentage of U.S. news subscribers
They are also more likely to have paid a discounted rate due to a trial or promotion, with 46% paying less than the full price of a subscription.
Many people turn to alternatives
News influencers play a bigger role than mainstream media organizations in delivering news to users of popular online platforms like TikTok.
In a survey of more than 5,600 TikTok users who said they use the app for news, 57% said they primarily follow individual personalities, while 34% said they primarily follow journalists or news brands.
The survey results suggest that newsrooms need to build direct relationships with their audiences, while also “strategically using platforms to connect with harder-to-reach demographics, such as younger demographics,” Neumann said. “We're seeing these influencers play a bigger role on platforms.” TikTok creator Vitus “V” Spehar, who has 3.1 million followers, was one of the news personalities mentioned by some of the survey's respondents. Spehar has become known for his unique style of delivering the day's top stories while lying under a desk, and previously told Reuters that this is intended to provide a calmer perspective on current events and contrast with traditional news anchors who sit at a desk.
