Global Audience Report Suspected Of Editor's Room Starting To Use AI

AI in news production and dissemination of misinformation is increasing. (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - Global concerns about the use of AI in news production and the spread of misinformation are increasing. This, according to a report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, presents new challenges for the editorial space that is already struggling to involve audiences.

This institute's annual Digital News Report, which this year, based on a survey of nearly 100,000 people in 47 countries, provides an overview of the obstacles facing news media in increasing revenue and maintaining business continuity.

Editorial spaces around the world are trying to address new challenges with generative artificial intelligence, while tech giants and startups like Google and OpenAI are building tools that can offer a summary of information and divert traffic from news sites.

However, the report found that consumers were suspicious of using AI to create news content, especially for sensitive topics such as politics.

According to a survey, 52% of respondents in the US and 63% of respondents in the UK said they felt uncomfortable with the news most produced with AI. The report surveyed 2,000 people in each country, noting that respondents were more comfortable with using AI behind the scenes to make journalist work more efficient.

"It's shocking to see this level of suspicion," said Nic Newman, senior researcher at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the Digital News Report. "People are generally concerned about what might happen to the reliability and confidence of content."

Concerns about online fake news content increased by three percentage points from last year, with 59% of survey respondents saying they were worried. This figure is higher in South Africa and the US, 81% and 72%, respectively, as the two countries held elections this year, the report said.

Another challenge facing news organizations is the public availability of audiences to pay for news subscriptions. After some growth during the pandemic, 17% of respondents in 20 countries said they paid for online news, an unchanged figure over the past three years, the report said.

Most news subscribers in the US also tend to pay discount rates due to trials or promotions, where 46% pay less than the full price for their subscriptions.

News influencers play a bigger role than mainstream media organizations in delivering news to popular online platform users like TikTok.

In a survey of more than 5,600 TikTok users who said they used the app for news, 57% said they were paying more attention to private individuals, compared to 34% who said they were following journalists or news brands.

"These findings suggest that editorial spaces need to build direct relationships with their audience while also using platforms strategically to connect with people who are harder to reach, such as younger audiences," Newman said. "We see that these influencers have a bigger role on the platform."

Vitus "V" Spehar, a TikTok creator with 3.1 million followers, is one of the news figures mentioned by several survey respondents. Spehar is known for their unique style of delivering headlines that day while lying under their table, which they previously told Reuters was meant to offer a gentler perspective on recent events and contrast to traditional news carriers sitting at the table.

Digital News Report surveys people in the US, UK, France, Argentina, and Brazil, asking them to name up to three main-current accounts or alternatives they follow for news.

The top ten individuals mentioned by respondents in the US are best known for offering political comments rather than original news gatherings, the report said. These figures include Tucker Carlson, former news anchor of Fox News, Joe Rogan, who hosted the top podcasts on Spotify, and David Pakman, a progressive radio talk host.

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is funded by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, a philanthropic branch of Thomson Reuters.