There is growing concern globally about the growing threats posed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in news production and disinformation, according to an industry report.
The survey is conducted annually by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Digital News Report It surveys the opinions and views of around 100,000 people across 47 countries.
The report highlights the changing challenges newsrooms face because of AI and the need for effective solutions to engage the public, maintain trust and sustain business.
One of the survey findings showed that just over half of those surveyed in the US and 63% in the UK (surveying 2,000 people in each country) said they would be uncomfortable with news being created primarily by AI, but were less opposed to emerging technologies being used to assist journalists in their work behind the scenes.
“The level of skepticism” about the impact of AI was surprising,” said Nick Newman, a senior researcher at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the digital news study, adding that “people had widespread concerns about what would happen to the reliability and trust of content.”
These two elements are crucial for news publishers: without them, any organization will struggle to maintain the audience base it needs unless it pursues other agendas.
We need to harness and engage with modern audiences
While many traditional news companies are becoming more reliant on subscribers due to pressure on advertising revenues, the report found that just 17% of respondents across 20 countries pay for online news, a figure that has remained stable for the past three years.
One reason for this is the alternative news platforms offered by social media giants such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, with this particular app facing its own ongoing challenges in the US.
These news influencers play a more important role than mainstream media, with over 5,600 TikTok users confirming they use the video hosting app for news, according to a digital news survey, with 57% suggesting they rely on individual celebrities as sources of information, compared to 34% who said they primarily get their information from journalists and news organizations.
Newman added that newsrooms need to build relationships with modern audiences and “strategically use platforms to connect with harder-to-reach populations, like younger audiences,” acknowledging that “we see these influencers playing a bigger role on[social media]platforms.”
In today’s evolving and diverse media landscape, our 2024 Report Overview took a closer look at the “platform resets” put forward by social media giants. We explored the scale and impact of TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube, found out why consumers are increasingly choosing visual content, and which mainstream and alternative channels (and individuals) are garnering the most attention for news dissemination.
The survey returned information that the market is becoming more fragmented, with six media networks now reaching at least 10% of survey respondents compared to two ten years ago.
YouTube is used for news every week by 31% of the global sample, WhatsApp by 21%, while TikTok at 13% surpasses Twitter/X (10%) for the first time.
Image credit: Ideogram
