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Axel Springer signs an agreement with OpenAI that will result in the publisher being compensated for the use of its content in ChatGPT and OpenAI’s artificial intelligence tools. The deal requires that ChatGPT’s answers to user queries attribute any material sourced from such Axel Springer platforms as Politico and Business Insider, in addition to providing links to the full articles. It includes otherwise paid content, and also allows for the use of Axel Springer content in training of OpenAI’s large language models. “This partnership with Axel Springer will help provide people with new ways to access quality, real-time news content through our AI tools,” said OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap. “We are deeply committed to working with publishers and creators around the world and ensuring they benefit from advanced AI technology and new revenue models.”
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| Zach Seward |
The New York Times brings on Zach Seward as editorial director of AI initiatives. Seward comes to the Times from business news site Quartz, where he was a founding editor, subsequently serving as chief people officer, CEO and editor-in-chief. He was previously a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, where he built and led the paper’s first social media team. At the Times, Seward will work with newsroom management to guide the integration of AI into the paper’s operations, beginning with the establishment of principles for how it does and does not use generative AI. That work will include designing training programs for curious journalists and partnering with colleagues across the company to determine where to incorporate generative A.I. tools into its publishing tools and digital products. “One reason we’re excited to have Zach in this role is that he shares our firm belief that Times journalism will always be reported, written and edited by our expert journalists,” the Times said in the release announcing Seward’s hire.
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The Nation, which has been in print since 1865, is transitioning from a weekly to a monthly publication, starting in January. While the magazine has seen a 3.8 percent jump in subscriptions to nearly 91,000 this year, that is less than half the 187,000 subscribers it had in 2006. As part of the change, each issue will be bumped up from 48 to 84 pages. According to Nation publisher D.D. Guttenplan, the new format is partly a response to subscriber requests for “more of what we do in print at one time, and less often.” Nation president Bhaskar Sundara told the New York Times that the move should not be seen as “a steppingstone towards a digital-only future,” but as “a way to deliver a better print product to people, rather than to step away from print.”
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
Trump Media & Technology Group is discussing a spin-off of the Truth Social platform following the expected closing of its $6B merger deal with TAE Technologies... Condé Nast sells off Them, the digital LGBTQ-focused platform it launched in 2017, to Equalpride, publisher of Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness and Pride.com... CBS News has parted ways with longevity influencer Peter Attia, one of the 19 contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss brought on as part of her plan to present a wider variety of voices on the platform. 
Symbolic.ai forms a partnership with News Corp to begin using the company’s AI-native publisher platform in the newsrooms of News Corp publications to augment research, writing and publishing... Mediaite launches a newsletter that promises to give readers a summary of—media newsletters... The Fund for American Studies launches the Journalism Excellence Fellowship, a program that will provide promising young journalists the opportunity to work alongside top writers, reporters, and media professionals.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has roots going back to 1786, is going out of business, the paper’s owners, Block Communications, announced on Jan. 7... GQ editor Will Welch is stepping down to take on a new Paris-based role with the musician Pharrell, who is also men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton... Semafor says it has raised $30 million on a $330 million valuation, following its first profitable year. 
