Sign up to save tools and stay up to date with the latest in AI
bg
bg
1

Media CEOs Weigh In On Washington Post And LA Times Non-Endorsements Of Kamala Harris, AI And Covering Trump 2.0

Nov 14, 2024 - deadline.com
Two media CEOs, Steve Hasker of Thomson Reuters and Almar Latour of Dow Jones, discussed the state of journalism and the impact of the non-endorsement of a presidential candidate by the Washington Post and LA Times at the Paley Center for Media's International Council Summit. Hasker stated that the timing of the non-endorsements was not great and could have long-term effects on subscribers, talent, and reputations. Latour noted that the Wall Street Journal has not endorsed a candidate since 1928 and that the reaction from subscribers to the non-endorsements had a significant impact on the business of the two newspapers.

Latour also discussed the "Trump bump," which boosted several media outlets during Trump's first term, but was followed by a slump in subscriptions. He emphasized the need for media outlets to adopt a more balanced approach and warned against the dangers of intermingling political preferences with coverage. He also criticized tech companies for their disdain towards journalism and their view of news as just content, in response to a lawsuit filed by Dow Jones against AI firm Perplexity for improperly using copyrighted material.

Key takeaways:

  • Media CEOs Steve Hasker of Thomson Reuters and Almar Latour of Dow Jones discussed the impact of the Washington Post and LA Times' decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, noting potential damage to their reputations and subscriber bases.
  • The Washington Post reportedly lost more than 250,000 subscriptions, about 10% of its base, following its non-endorsement.
  • Latour highlighted the need for media outlets to adopt a more balanced approach to coverage, warning that intermingling political preferences with news coverage can erode trust and be detrimental to the industry.
  • Latour also criticized tech companies for their dismissive attitude towards journalism, in light of a lawsuit filed by Dow Jones against AI firm Perplexity for improperly using copyrighted material.
View Full Article

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment!