|
 |
Fighting for journalism and profitable news media
Is AI tech being wasted on 'churnalism'? | Publishers launch their own social networks
And ten years on, The Week Junior is an enduring print journalism success story
|
| |||||||||||||||
Good morning from the team at Press Gazette on Thursday, 27 November.
Today’s newsletter is supported by Admiral- The Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) Company.
Want in on exclusive publisher-only events featuring Premier League matches, track-day racing and comedy from Shane Gillis? Admiral’s VIP Events are invite-only, unforgettable, and built for the people shaping the future of media.
Get on the list for Q1-2026 VIP access.
 |
🤖 At every journalism conference I’ve been to recently, executives and tech providers have said AI should save journalists from grunt work and let them do more real reporting.
New research from Reuters suggests this has yet to play out in the newsroom.
The fieldwork for this research is a year old but it has a decent sample size (more than 1,000 UK journalists).
It suggests those most likely to be using AI are also more likely to feel they are doing too many low-status tasks. I suspect this is because some publishers are using the technology to enable ‘churnalism’, quick rewrites of press releases and content which has appeared elsewhere.
This may free up other journalists to do more real reporting, but the survey suggests those who using AI most themselves are not loving it.
 |
In recent weeks Press Gazette has reported on the end of print editions at Inside Housing, Travel Trade Gazette and Nursing Times.
But today we can report on an unlikely print success story: The Week Junior.
The title has around 60,000 weekly subscribers paying for a print edition which offers its target market of eight to 14-year-olds a break from doom-scrolling.
Even ten years ago, launching a print magazine aimed at the most tech-native generation in history seemed ambitious.
We spoke to founding editor Anna Bassi and managing director Richard Campbell about how print subscriptions continue to support a thriving title providing a fact-checked, verified weekly diet of national and international news to children.
 |
And as each week provides fresh horror about the behaviour of giant tech platforms, what if there was another way for news publishers than working hand in glove with the likes of Meta and Tiktok?
Press Gazette has spoken to two publishers who have successfully launched their own social media platforms: Spaces by Village Media in Canada and Daily Maverick Connect in South Africa.
They are driven not by addictive algorithms but by providing a way for readers to build connection and share knowledge.
Elon Musk’s X has already imploded and Facebook is increasingly about short-video serotonin hits. Perhaps there is a space here for publishers to recreate what social media platforms were supposed to be about in the first place?