Sky's Stuart Ramsay on his most dangerous mission yet | AI in newsrooms survey
And GB News is in hot water again - this time over presenter's views on Russell Brand
Good morning and welcome to your daily media news briefing on Wednesday, 20 September, brought to you today in association with Beeler.Tech, whose Base Camp event for publisher revenue leaders has a small number of tickets left.
Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay has been putting himself in harm’s way again some 18 months after being shot in Ukraine.
He spoke to Press Gazette about his new documentary - Myanmar, The Last Hospital - which airs tonight. And he explained why he chose to spend 30 days in near-constant danger in a place so remote there was no hope of support if anything went wrong.
Ramsay also shared his views on why “going and seeing it” will always be preferable to “social media nastiness and the growth of very opinion-based talk television, which isn’t necessarily listening to people”.
It's a humbling thought that there are some in our profession who believe the news is so important they will risk their lives to report it.
We also have the results of a global survey which reveals that generative AI has yet to have a big impact in most newsrooms - but that most companies see tools like ChatGPT as presenting new opportunities for journalism.
And GB News is in hot water again over its approach to impartiality. Chair of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee Dame Caroline Dinenage has written to the broadcaster questioning presenter Bev Turner's vocal support for shamed conspiracy theorist Russell Brand.
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New from Press Gazette:
Sky’s Stuart Ramsay on why he undertook his most dangerous mission yet
Ramsay can’t say how the Sky team was able to clandestinely enter Myanmar for fear of endangering the lives of those who helped them. But once inside, he says, the feeling of danger was constant for an entire month, making it unlike any assignment he has been on before.
Survey reveals global newsroom adoption of AI at early stage but set to increase
Four in ten news organisations have not greatly changed their approach to AI in the newsroom since 2019, according to a new LSE survey.
GB News impartiality undermined by Bev Turner support for Russell Brand, MP warns
“It is concerning that Beverley Turner, who described Mr Brand as ‘a hero’ and invited him to appear on her show, subsequently fronted GB News’s coverage of the allegations regarding Mr Brand on the morning of 18 September.”
News in brief
Rupert Murdoch reportedly thought the Dominion libel case against Fox News would cost him $50m, according to Michael Wolff's new book - but it ultimately settled for $787.5m. (The Guardian)A Russian court has refused to hear Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's appeal against his continuing pre-trial detention. Sister News Corp title The Times highlighted his case on its front page today. (CNN)CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance has been promoted to chief global affairs correspondent. (Press Gazette)News UK chief technology officer Simon Farnsworth is leaving in early 2024 to join ITV in the same role. He said he will build a tech strategy "that allows ITV to continue the momentum that it has built through its digital transformation and the launch of ITVX". This month Farnsworth appeared at our Future of Media Tech Conference to discuss how he simplified News UK's tech in his year in the role. A Birkbeck College academic is calling for regional and local journalists to fill in this survey about who is using the right to access local authority accounts and what for. (Birkbeck College)Lee Anderson breached the MPs' code of conduct by filming an ad for his GB News show on a parliamentary terrace and sending an email containing an ad for it through his parliamentary email address. He apologised and said he would not do either again.
Podcast 56: Is the future looking brighter for Future? Jon Steinberg CEO interview
CEO of Future plc Jon Steinberg explains why he believes his company still has the right ingredients for success (whatever the stock market may currently seem to think).
He also talks about how he has tackled taking over from a highly successful predecessor, what he thinks about AI in publishing and how the company is just starting to generate revenue from digital subscriptions.
Previously on Press Gazette
Radio Times at 100: Magazine still ‘highly profitable’ fuelled by subscriptions
Pictured: National World journalists picket in company’s first-ever national strike
GB News breached impartiality rules when Tory MPs interviewed Jeremy Hunt – Ofcom
Sunday Times journalist warns over ‘very upsetting’ Russell Brand follow-up coverage
DMG Media names first global head of video to create new strategy
From editor to CEO: Christian Broughton shares Independent’s global growth plan
