ITN sounds alarm on AI news deepfakes | Emap shuts one title, sells another
And how the Scottish Beacon is promoting local journalism in Scotland
Welcome to your daily update from Press Gazette on Wednesday 7 February.
Meta made $135bn in revenue last year.
In the UK alone it made more in advertising than every UK publisher (print and online) combined.
Yet when it is alerted to illegal deepfake video content exploiting the images of leading journalists like Martin Lewis and Mary Nightingale it can be excruciatingly slow to act.
Today we report on the growing problem of AI-generated deepfake videos which are being used to not only manufacture fake news, but are also creating fake video versions of newsreaders themselves.
Today we also report on commercial bloodshed in the world of country life journalism, where Emap has closed The Countryman's Weekly citing "an increasingly challenging consumer newstrade environment".
The closure comes just months after another title, The Countryman, closed following 96 years in print.
There is better news for monthly nostalgia title Best of British, which Emap has sold to Mortons Media Group to join its stable of mainly railway and motorbike titles.
The current issue features an appreciation of Carry On star Bernard Bresslaw, an update on the Dawlish sea wall project and a feature on Great Britain's unlikely gold medal in the two-man bobsleigh at the 1964 Winter Olympics. I for one shall be buying a copy!
New from Press Gazette
ITN sounds alarm over fake online content featuring Robert Peston, Mary Nightingale and others
“It’s bad for our reputation, it’s bad for Mary’s reputation, and it’s really bad for the industry as a whole and just public trust in news.”
Emap shuts Countryman’s Weekly, sells Best of British
The Countryman's Weekly closes not long after another country life title, The Countryman.
How Scottish Beacon aims to promote local independent journalism
Launched in August last year by a team at Greater Govanhill, a Glasgow-based not-for-profit magazine, The Scottish Beacon is a website that showcases work from 22 independent local and hyperlocal newsrooms across Scotland.
News in brief
The Government has confirmed a working group of rightsholders and AI developers set up by the Intellectual Property Office "will not be able to agree an effective voluntary code" on AI and copyright. The Government will now continue its own work in this area. (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Society of Editors says it is "deeply concerned" about a proposed law in Scotland for automatic lifelong anonymity to any minor convicted of a crime, saying the "default position should always be one of openness and transparency". (Society of Editors)
In its trading update for the four months to 31 January, Future said B2B growth and resilient magazines offset "a slower start to the year in affiliate products and digital advertising due to continued macroeconomic pressures and low visibility impacting the wider sector". (Future)
Two major new podcasts have been announced this morning: Global follows The News Agents with The Sports Agents, hosted by Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman, while Sky News says "move over lads" with politics pod Electoral Dysfunction with Beth Rigby, Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson.
Bluesky is no longer invite-only. The X and Threads competitor, which is funded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, attained 3 million sign-ups before opening to the public. You can follow Press Gazette on Bluesky at pressgazette.bsky.social. (Tech Crunch)
Standard Industries, the $11bn-revenue roofing business with stakes in Puck and Malcolm Gladwell's Pushkin studio, is reportedly in talks to buy Graydon Carter's high-end Air Mail newsletter for $50m. (Semafor)
The Los Angeles Times’ senior vice president for content business strategy, Julia Turner, has resigned from the paper. She is the latest in a slew of top editorial staff to leave the LA Times amid deep cuts. (The Wrap)
Substack is helping some newsletters on the platform find advertisers as part of a pilot scheme. One writer told Axios Substack had "contracted with an outside team to approach potential advertisers like any other ad agency would". (Axios)
Previously on Press Gazette
Yorkshire Post reporter’s credibility wrongly questioned over Sheffield tree scandal
Publisher ad tech platforms Ozone and Mantis advance amid fight to save journalism on open web
Politico reshuffles London team after year of headcount and revenue growth
Director Ken Loach Ofcom complaint rejected after being ‘maligned’ by Newsnight
How Sunday Mail journalist defied ‘furious’ denials to expose SNP financial scandal