Content Aware media news: September 5, 2024

Big Tech vs the law, publishers' battles for clicks, success stories of independent news outlets - all in this week's Content Aware weekly newsletter.

Published: 18:30, 05 September 2024

Big Tech ain't quite what it says it is
Reflecting on this summer's technology news leads to the conclusion that industry giants are producing a great deal more heat than light in this era.
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Anderson v. TikTok
A US appeals court has revoked the protection offered by Section 230 in the Anderson v. TikTok case, rendering the tech giant legally answerable for user-generated content and its insufficient moderation. This ruling now places its fellow tech titans in a vulnerable position as well.
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New kids on the AI block
Entering the scene amidst the turmoil caused by SB 1047 in Silicon Valley's AI sector, an ex-OpenAI board member Ilya Sutskever has stacked $1 billion for his new "safety-focused" AI company.
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AI Overviews vs publishers' (in)visibility
AI Overviews are now taking center stage for 17% of queries in the UK and US, and publishers are gearing up for potential shifts in their visibility and traffic. Users in the US, UK, and some select other countries, be prepared to scroll further down the search results to find the original content Google is using to base their AIO on.
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Click challenge
Julia Alexander, previously a content strategist at Vox Media and now with The Walt Disney Company, discusses the persistent struggle between Google's (un)helpful content updates, AI Overviews and publishers. Case in point — Gannett shutting down its product reviews site Reviewed.
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Big Tech's cash-for-content clash
In case you've been delighting in some well-deserved time off or just haven't been keeping up with the latest, here's a catch-up on Google/Meta vs. news content and the part governments are playing in ensuring Big Tech compensates publishers for content they profit from.
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Google monopoly 2.0?
Despite all the bleak outcomes, there remains a potential bright side for those in the publishing industry. Following the landmark search monopoly verdict, Google is bracing for another court session next week, which will zero in on its advertising strategies and impact on news organisations.
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Brazil says tchau to Musk
After an extended period of tension between Moraes and Musk, Brazil has banned X for refusing to comply with Brazilian Supreme Court orders. But while Musk is battling the South American giant, he treads lightly when it comes to European territory. The Irish Data Protection Commission has confirmed X has complied not to use European users' posts for AI training.
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Power of newsletters
Guidance on newsletter strategies from our technology partners, Poool. Lessons to be learned.
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Les-SEO-ns to be learned
A Detailed view into top domains on Google’s Top Stories feature in 2024, and a special appreciation of standout independents and their SEO success.
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Egyptian Streets' new chapter
A success story of an independent news outlet coming from the land of the pyramids and pharaohs.
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Wake up and scroll the coffee
The Economist turns towards younger audiences with a new AI-translated news app Espresso, serving up a free cup of news for students worldwide.
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