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AI bots replace human traffic on publisher sites | UK regional daily sales figures
And Hollywood Reporter publisher becomes the first news organisation to sue Google for stealing its stories in order to create AI Overviews
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Welcome to your daily Press Gazette media briefing on Monday, 15 September.
New US TV comedy The Paper imagines life at the Toledo Truth Teller, a local daily newspaper produced out of a few desks on a single floor of the imposing HQ building it once filled.
It's a sequel to the US version of The Office and cuts between the modern day with vintage footage from the paper in the 1970s when it employed hundreds of employees and struck fear into the hearts of elected officials.
UK regional dailies haven't fallen as low as the Truth Teller (which is almost entirely cut and pasted from wire copy in episode one).
But I fear this affectionate satire of modern local newspaper life may still strike a bit close to home for those doggedly bringing out local print dailies.
Many of these titles reach millions of readers per month online. But print sales still matter because that is where the likes of Newsquest and Reach make most of their money.
Today we also report on new data which suggests human traffic to publisher websites is being replaced by bots crawling sites on behalf of ChatGPT and the other LLMs. It's the clearest indication yet that AI companies are stealing audience as well as content from publishers.
And still on this theme, bravo to Penske Media in the US (publisher of Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter) which has filed a lawsuit against Google alleging that AI Overviews is breaching its copyright. See our full round-up of generative AI-related deals and lawsuits here.
On Press Gazette
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AI bots appear to be replacing human traffic on publisher websites
Data from Tollbit tracks growth of generative AI bots scraping publisher websites.
Regional daily ABCs: Print circulation down by average of 18% in H1 2025
The Irish News is the only UK regional daily with circulation above 20,000.
Penske Media sues Google over AI Overviews
The Hollywood Reporter and Variety publisher Penske Media has become the first major publisher to sue Google over the impact of its AI Overviews in search results on traffic and revenue.
News diary 15-21 September: Trump visits UK, interest rate decision, sentencing of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda this week, from the team at Foresight News.
News in brief
More than 100 news organisations including the BBC and the Financial Times have signed an open letter to Donald Trump asking him to scrap plans to reduce the length of the visas foreign journalists can get to work in the US. (Financial Times)
A group of London-based writers are launching Equator, a new magazine “challenging the assumption global events should be narrated by and for the West”. (Equator)
Canada's Global News has laid off 46 people, including 26 journalists, described as "difficult but necessary changes to create a more sustainable future for the company and our news division". (Vancouver Sun)
UK publisher Digitalbox has joined the collective 'consent or pay' solution from Contentpass with the launch of its new Royal Insider site, meaning when people pay £3.49 (or €3.99) per month they get access to more than 600 participating sites without banner ads, personalised tracking or video ads. (Press Network)
Former Sky News business producer Martin Kimber has joined City AM as head of video and audio, producing a range of formats including "news shorts and interviews to mini-docs and podcasts". (Linkedin)
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has hired ex-BBC Silicon Valley correspondent James Clayton as big tech editor as it expands its investigations into AI, wrongdoing by big tech companies and mis- and disinformation. (Talking Biz News)
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade has apologised for saying that people who are experiencing homelessness and mental illnesses should be executed – remarks that led to calls for him to be fired. (The Guardian)
President Trump indicated Sunday he could again extend this wee