The digital media landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, and we’re likely to see more changes in the next 12 months than we’ve seen in the last decade. In this month’s session with Jez Walters from What’s New in Publishing, we discuss the latest stories impacting publishers, from an AI scandal in Colombia to the rise of dynamic paywalls and the “new rockstars” of media.
The fake AI story scandal (and how to avoid it)
A major story recently broke out of Colombia involving El Espectador, the country’s second-largest news brand and oldest legacy title. The CEO had to issue a public apology after it was revealed that an intern had been using ChatGPT to generate fake stories.
This scandal highlights a critical issue for all publishers: how to mitigate the risk of fake AI stories. The consensus is that publishers must employ rigorous verification of their journalists’ sources. As AI-generated content floods the internet, publishers must differentiate themselves through authentic journalism and deep, verified content. The best way to overcome the noise is to build genuine relationships with readers, moving beyond transactional traffic to deeper engagement.
Meta’s new AI licensing deals
There has been a significant development regarding AI and content rights with Meta. They recently inked AI licensing deals with major legacy publishers like CNN, Fox, USA Today, and People Magazine.
This isn’t about driving traffic to websites. It is about licensing content to train Meta’s AI and providing legal access to real-time reporting. While these deals are currently limited to hand-picked giants, it signals that AI companies are beginning to see the need for systematic relationships with publishers. For a closer look at who is partnering and who is suing, the AI Deals and Disputes Tracker from the Columbia Journalism School provides an overview of the current landscape.
A third way to monetize: the “SuperTab” wallet
A new company called SuperTab is currently beta testing a novel monetization model with Google. SuperTab offers a “third way” between subscriptions and ad-supported content. Instead of forcing a user to subscribe or register, a publisher can sell a time-limited access slot—such as 15 minutes, an hour, or a day—for a small fee.
It functions like a wallet across multiple publisher sites. A user might have funds in their SuperTab account and can spend small amounts (e.g., 75 cents) to access specific articles without committing to a full subscription. It is being trialed by publishers like the Portland Press Herald, and early results are strong because it captures revenue from users who would otherwise leave the site.
Google’s November search update: winners and losers
November was a volatile month for search due to Google’s latest update. The shift continues to move away from keywords and toward reader intent.
The losers in this update continue to be sites with thin content or generic “how-to” guides. If AI can summarize an article in a couple of sentences, Google often provides that summary directly in the search results, preventing the click. The winners are niche publishers with deep, unique content and that demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EEAT). Many of these publishers are actually seeing an increase in traffic.
The power of AI dynamic paywalls
Large publishers are seeing good results by moving away from static paywalls. The Financial Times (FT) reported a 92% conversion boost using AI-driven dynamic paywalls tailored to individual user behavior.
They also saw funnel progression up 118% and subscriber lifetime value up 78%. The strategy involves relentless testing of personalized triggers and smart segmentation based on engagement. While this technology is currently used by giants like FT and Forbes, new vendors are expected to emerge in the coming year that will make these tools accessible to niche publishers.
Gen Z journalists and the “new rockstars”
A worrying trend is emerging where Gen Z journalists are losing faith in the industry due to low wages, burnout, and lack of opportunity. Yet, there is a massive opportunity for publishers who can nurture this talent. In fact, they MUST nurture this talent or lose them to social platforms.
An example of this potential is Kody the WX Guy, an independent journalist with nearly 400,000 Facebook followers for his Colorado weather updates. He has roughly four times the followers of the largest Colorado TV news station. Why? Because he has a unique, authentic voice. He is funny, personal, and engaging—traits that corporate media often lacks.
These independent creators are the new rockstars of media. Publishers need to find ways to enable and partner with this new generation of talent, or risk watching them go independent and compete directly.