The Media Copilot

Local journalism is collapsing under old business models. The next version may be more dependent on AI than most newsrooms are ready to admit.By The CopilotCan AI help rebuild local journalism before the economics of the industry completely break? Axios does. On this episode of The Media Copilot podcast, Pete Pachal speaks to Allison Murphy, COO of Axios, to explore how Axios Local is experimenting with AI-driven newsroom operations, “hyperlocal” expansion, and lean reporting teams designed to scale across hundreds of communities.The needle to thread: how to produce high-quality local journalism without sacrificing editorial standards. From AI-assisted social publishing and newsroom training to experimental tools like the “Axiomizer” and “Localizer,” the conversation goes beyond vague AI hype and into the real mechanics of how modern media organizations are adapting in real time.Murphy also explores newsroom trust, AI transparency, audience skepticism, regional expansion strategy, and the growing financial pressure forcing publishers to rethink how journalism can remain sustainable in the modern media economy.“The fundamental challenge with local journalism now is a financial one. We are looking at how we can bring the cost of delivering really high quality, originally reported journalism and news and information to many, many communities.”Murphy argues that the future of local news depends on finding the right balance between human expertise and technological efficiency before the economics of the industry become impossible to sustain.What We Cover: • Why Axios sees AI as essential to saving local journalism economics • How one reporter and “half reporter” cities are changing newsroom models • The role of AI in reporting workflows, editing, planning, and social distribution • Why Axios believes human reporters remain core to its journalism • The rise of AI-enabled newsroom operations and internal employee training • What media companies still misunderstand about AI adoption • Reader trust, transparency, and AI disclosure experiments • The future of audience growth and media discovery in an AI ecosystem • Why local journalism may become more scalable than ever beforeWhy this matters:Most conversations about AI in the media stay theoretical. This one gets operational.Axios is actively testing what an AI-enabled newsroom looks like at scale—not in a lab, but across real communities with real reporters and real business pressures. As local journalism continues to shrink nationwide, the stakes are bigger than newsroom efficiency. They’re about whether sustainable local reporting can exist at all in the next decade.For anyone working in journalism, media strategy, publishing, audience growth, or AI product development, this episode offers one of the clearest looks yet at how a modern newsroom is trying to adapt before the industry’s financial realities force even harder choices.About the 👤 Guest  • LinkedIn: Allison Murphy• Axios official site: AxiosAbout the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit mediacopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

In a world of fewer clicks and higher stakes, B2B media is being rebuilt around outcomes, not impressions.The media industry has spent years optimizing for clicks, traffic, and scale. But in B2B, the stakes are different.A single decision can involve millions of dollars and require input from 5 to 15 stakeholders. That changes everything about how content is created, distributed, and measured.At the same time, AI is reshaping how audiences discover information. Fewer clicks. More summaries. More intermediaries. Which means fewer chances to capture attention, but higher stakes when you do.That’s the shift happening in media that’s beneath the surface of headlines about lawsuits and AI slop. In this episode of The Media Copilot podcast, host Pete Pachal talks with Keith Turco, CEO of Madison Logic, to unpack the shift to better understand how AI is changing not just media, but B2B publishers.The result is a fundamental shift:  Quality over quantity. Precision over reach. Outcomes over impressions.For publishers, marketers, and media operators, this is not just a trend. It is a structural change in how value is created.What we coverWhy B2B media is moving from impressions to performance-driven outcomesThe rise of buying groups and how they reshape content strategyWhat “geek chic” means and why measurement is now the differentiatorHow AI acts as a “refiner,” not a replacement, in marketing workflowsThe shift from one-to-many messaging to one-to-one and one-to-few targetingWhy podcasts and audio are becoming critical in the B2B media mixHow the “at-work state of mind” blurs personal and professional media consumptionWhat publishers are still getting wrong about ROI and measurementWhy niche, high-intent audiences are more valuable than everThe growing role of multi-channel strategies across CTV, social, and audioAbout the 👤 Guest  https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithturco/ Learn more about Madison Logic:🌐 https://www.madisonlogic.com/🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/madison-logic/🐦 https://twitter.com/MadisonLogic About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

Why the future of generative media may hinge on who owns the data and who gets paid for it.Generative AI can now create high-quality images and videos in seconds. But as the technology accelerates, a more fundamental question is emerging: Can AI-generated media ever be trusted at scale?In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal speaks with Dr. Yair Adato, founder and CEO of Bria, about a growing divide in the AI ecosystem. On one side are models trained on vast, scraped datasets. On the other are systems built around licensed data, attribution, and control.At stake is not just quality, but ownership, accountability, and the future economics of creativity.Why This MattersThe generative AI boom has largely focused on what these models can do. Less attention has been paid to how they are built and who benefits.As brands, media companies, and enterprises begin to integrate AI into real workflows, concerns around copyright, likeness rights, deepfakes, and data ownership are no longer theoretical. They are operational risks.This conversation reframes the debate: The future of AI may depend less on better models and more on building systems that businesses can actually trust.What We Cover • Why “brand-safe” AI is becoming a business requirement, not a feature • The case for licensed data and a new attribution-driven data economy • How generative AI could reshape ownership and compensation for creators • Why visual AI presents higher stakes than text models • The limits of current models and the push toward greater control and transparency • How enterprises are integrating AI into real production workflows • The tension between automation and creativity in media and storytelling • Why AI will handle the “average” and humans will still define what is exceptionalNotable Insight“This is by far the most advanced technology humanity has created,” says Dr.  Adato. “…and it took six years, not fifty.”About the 👤 Guest  LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/yair-adato-4936b236 Americans for Ben-Gurion University featurehttps://americansforbgu.org/generative-ai/Bria (official site) https://bria.aiBria AI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/briaai Bria AI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bria.aiBria AI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriaAIAbout the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

As AI reshapes journalism and media, Richard Murphy of the Alliance for Audited Media explains why the industry needs actual standards.AI is no longer experimental in media. It is operational.From drafting articles to generating images to influencing distribution, artificial intelligence is now embedded across the entire content pipeline in many organizations. But as adoption accelerates, trust is breaking down just as fast.In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal talks with Richard Murphy, CEO of the Alliance for Audited Media, to unpack a growing industry response: ethical AI certification.Murphy explains how publishers, advertisers, and audiences are all asking the same question in different ways:  How do we know what is real, who created it, and whether we can trust it? The answer, at least in part, may lie in standards.Drawing from AAM’s newly developed framework, Murphy walks through the pillars of responsible AI use, from transparency and disclosure to human oversight and data protection. The goal is not to slow innovation, but to create guardrails that keep media credible in an era where AI can generate anything.Why This MattersMedia has always relied on trust as its currency. AI is testing that foundation.When audiences cannot tell whether content is human-created, AI-assisted, or fully synthetic, credibility becomes fragile. At the same time, advertisers and partners are demanding proof that what they are funding or distributing meets ethical standards.This is where certification enters the picture.Ethical AI frameworks are quickly becoming more than best practice. They are positioning themselves as a competitive advantage, a compliance strategy, and potentially a defense against future regulation.The bigger shift is this: AI is not just changing how content is created.  It is redefining what accountability looks like in media.What we coverWhat “ethical AI certification” actually means in practiceThe 8 pillars of responsible AI use in media organizationsWhy disclosure is moving from optional to essentialThe difference between AI-assisted vs fully AI-generated contentWhere most trust failures are happening todayWhy self-regulation may be the industry’s best shot before government interventionHow AI is impacting not just content creation, but distribution and business modelsThe growing role of advertisers, partners, and audiences in demanding transparencyAbout the 👤 Guest  LinkedIn (Personal Profile): https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmurphy01AAM Leadership Bio: https://auditedmedia.com/about/leadershipAlliance for Audited Media): https://auditedmedia.comDigital Content Next (Articles): https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/author/richmurphy/About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team . Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0 All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

AI is reshaping how people search, shop, and consume information and that shift is starting to challenge the business models that have supported media for decades.In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Colin Jeavons, Founder and Chairman of Nomix Group, to explore what happens when AI becomes the middle layer between publishers and their audiences.From the collapse of traditional ad economics to the rising value of trust, this conversation breaks down how discovery is evolving, why some publishers may struggle to adapt, and where new opportunities are emerging across commerce, subscriptions, and AI-driven experiences.What we cover • How AI is changing search, discovery, and media economics • Why CPM-based advertising is under pressure • The growing importance of trust in content • The future of subscriptions and micropayments • How commerce and AI shopping may evolve • What publishers need to rethink right nowTakeawaysThe old web rewarded volume. The next era may reward credibility.In Jeavons’ view, AI is speeding up a market correction that was already underway. Publishers built around commodity content and low value ad impressions face increasing risk. But organizations that create trusted reporting, specialized expertise, or high intent commerce content may still have a path forward.The future, he suggests, will not be defined by whether AI destroys publishing. It will be defined by which publishers learn how to operate in a world where attention is filtered through intelligent systems, trust carries a premium, and audiences are willing to pay for what feels indispensable.About the 👤 Guest  🔗 Colin Jeavons  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinjeavons/🔗 Nomix GroupWebsite: https://nomix.groupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nomix-group/About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

Search is changing fast, and AI is at the center of it.Search is no longer just about blue links and ranking on Google. More and more, people are getting their answers directly from AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other answer engines that summarize information, pull citations, and decide what gets surfaced in real time. That means visibility is changing, and so is the value of content.In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal speaks with Josh Blyskal, who leads answer engine optimization research at Profound, a company focused on tracking how brands appear inside AI generated answers. Their conversation explores what answer engine optimization really means, how it differs from traditional SEO, and why specificity, utility, and structure now matter more than ever.What We Cover • The shift from traditional search results to AI generated answers • What answer engine optimization (AEO) actually means • How AI tools break prompts into “fan out” searches • Why specificity and structured content matter more than ever • The role of citations and consensus in AI responses • How platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews choose sources • Why Reddit and user generated content still influence AI answers • The growing tension between AI discovery and publisher business models • Opportunities and risks for media organizations in the AI search eraAbout the 👤 Guest Josh Blyskal• Website: https://www.joshblyskal.com• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blyskal• X: https://twitter.com/joshblyskal• Speaker Deck: https://speakerdeck.com/joshblyLearn More About Profound• https://www.tryprofound.comAbout the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

AI is rapidly becoming part of how news is produced, distributed, and discovered. But what does that actually look like inside a newsroom?In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal speaks with Gina Chua, Executive Editor at Large at Semafor and Executive Director of the Tow-Knight Center for Journalism Futures at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.Chua shares how Semafor is experimenting with practical AI tools that support journalists in everyday workflows. These include tools for copy editing and proofreading, systems that suggest relevant datasets for charts while a reporter is writing, and tools that help surface related reporting across different outlets and languages.The conversation also explores how newsrooms can organize large volumes of information. At Semafor, interview transcripts from events and panels are integrated into internal systems so reporters can quickly search conversations, locate quotes, and review context directly.Chua emphasizes that these tools are designed to assist newsroom work rather than replace editorial judgment. She also offers a useful way to think about large language models: they are built to work with language, not to verify facts. When used carefully with known text sources, they can help summarize, organize, and analyze information.Beyond newsroom workflows, the discussion turns to the broader shift happening in how people access information. AI tools, chatbots, and automated summaries are increasingly becoming a gateway to news, which raises important questions about trust, verification, and the future role of journalism.This episode looks at how reporters, editors, and media organizations are adapting as AI becomes part of the information ecosystem.What we cover • How Semafor is experimenting with AI tools inside the newsroom • Using transcripts and Slack to search interviews and discussions • Why language models are useful for handling text but not verifying facts • The role of human review in newsroom publishing decisions • How AI interfaces are changing the way audiences find newsTIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Intro: Journalism in the AI Era02:15 – Gina’s Background & Semafor’s Model06:00 – How Newsrooms Are Using AI Today10:00 – Trust in a Synthetic World14:00 – Transparency & Disclosure18:30 – AI Tools Inside Reporting23:00 – The Risk of Information Overload27:30 – Reinventing the News Business32:00 – Where AI Helps Most36:30 – The Future of JournalismAbout the 👤 Guest GINA CHUALinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginachuaX (Twitter) 👉 https://x.com/GinaSKChuaInstagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/gina_chua_nyc Personal Website / Writing 👉 https://ginachua.me Author Page (Semafor) 👉 https://www.semafor.com/author/gina-chua—-About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

What if instead of scrolling headlines, you had a personal intelligence agent that understood what matters to you and delivered only signal, not noise?In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal talks with Eva Cicinyte, co-founder and CEO of Gnomi, an AI-powered real-time news agent designed to synthesize global information into actionable insight. The goal isn’t summaries or more feeds. It’s context.Eva explains how her experience in political data analytics shaped her mission to make high quality understanding accessible to everyone, not just institutions with research teams. Gnomi pulls from global sources, social platforms, video, audio, and financial data to deliver personalized intelligence in real time.The platform’s new Finance Mode can even analyze live earnings calls as they happen, potentially surfacing market signals before headlines move prices.🔍 In this conversation • Why Gnomi is built as an “intelligence layer,” not a news app • How AI agents could replace search and traditional feeds • The danger of engagement driven AI systems • Multilingual analysis and global perspective gaps • Using social and video data to detect emerging signals • Real time market insights from live earnings calls • The future of journalism in an AI first world • Ads, subscriptions, and the economics of AI toolsIf you care about the future of news, AI, finance, or how people will stay informed in the coming decade, this episode is a must watch.00:00 – Intro: Why AI Agents Matter Now Big-picture framing of the agent shift.02:10 – Eva’s Background & Building Gnomi How she entered the agent space and what problem they’re solving.05:40 – What Actually Is an AI Agent? Clear distinction between chatbots and agents.09:15 – From Answers to Action How agents move from generating text to executing workflows.13:50 – Designing Guardrails & Trust Why autonomy requires control and reliability.18:20 – Real-World Use Cases Where agents are already creating leverage.22:45 – AI in the Workflow Stack Replacing apps and orchestrating tools.27:30 – Human + AI Collaboration Why agents amplify people instead of replacing them.32:10 – Infrastructure: Memory, Context & Systems What makes agents actually autonomous.37:00 – Competitive Advantage in the Agent Era How companies should think about adoption.41:30 – The Future of the Agent Economy Where this is all headed next.About the 👤 Guest LinkedIn👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-cicinyte-1447161b2Instagram (Personal)👉 https://www.instagram.com/evapariscicinyteOfficial Website👉 https://www.gnomi.comLinkedIn (Company Page)👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/gnomiInstagram (Company)👉 https://www.instagram.com/gnomi.app About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

Poynter’s Alex Mahadevan explains how newsrooms can use AI without losing the fundamentals of verification, context, and accountability.By The CopilotAI is already embedded in how people discover and consume news, from search to chat interfaces to automated summaries. So the question is no longer whether journalism will be shaped by AI. It’s how newsrooms maintain trust while experimenting responsibly.In this episode of The Media Copilot podcast, Pete Pachal sits down with Alex Mahadevan, Director of MediaWise and a faculty member at Poynter, to unpack what media literacy looks like now that anyone can generate convincing content at scale. Alex shares how his background in data and local journalism shaped his approach to tools, why public-facing AI ethics policies matter, and what it will take for news organizations to bring audiences along for the next phase of the information ecosystem.Why this mattersTrust is the core product. AI can either widen the trust gap with errors and low-quality content, or help rebuild credibility through transparency, better products, and clearer communication about how journalism is made. This conversation gets practical about what responsible AI use looks like, where disclosures help and where they can unintentionally slow innovation, and why the newsroom AI divide is becoming a real competitive advantage for organizations that adapt.What we cover• Alex’s journey into journalism and the global mission of MediaWise• How AI is reshaping misinformation, trust, and newsroom transparency• Practical uses of chatbots, coding agents, and AI workflows• The widening divide between AI enthusiasts and skeptics in newsrooms• Ethics, job concerns, and gray areas around AI-assisted writing• What the future of news may look like beyond traditional articlesAbout the 👤 Guest 🔗Alex Mahadevan 🔗Poynter / MediaWise 🔗MediaWiseAbout the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

Lawsuits set public rules; contracts set private ones. A media attorney on how leverage, timing, and context decide the path.In this episode, Pete Pachal sits down with corporate and transactional attorney Jason Henderson, a streaming and licensing specialist who also happens to be a creative with real skin in the game. Jason breaks down why the popular “AI learns like humans” analogy only goes so far, how fair use really works in court, and why the future will be shaped less by courtroom theory and more by deal structures. The key parts of those deals that are often overlooked: indemnification and who actually bears the risk when things go sideways.From The New York Times and Perplexity headlines to the practical mechanics of licensing training data, this conversation gets grounded fast. Jason explains what matters most to media companies, what smaller publishers should watch, and why agentic browsing and attribution are shaping up to be the next pressure point.Why this matters: Media is facing a new kind of competition. Not always a stolen article, but a substituted experience. When AI tools summarize, synthesize, and answer in real time, the legal question is not only “Was it copied?” It is also “Does it replace the market for the original?” Jason outlines how courts evaluate that, why “transformative” is both the key term and the messiest one, and why the industry is drifting toward partnerships and licensing frameworks even as litigation continues.At the same time, the next wave is not just training bots or search bots. It is agents that behave like users and may be harder to block or even detect. The more AI becomes the interface to the web, the more urgent it becomes for publishers to understand the business and legal stakes.Key TakeawaysFair use is not a blanket shield. Courts look at purpose, transformation, and market impact, and the facts matter.Legitimate acquisition matters. Even if a use might be transformative, piracy can change the legal posture dramatically.Media’s biggest fear is substitution. Summaries and AI answers can erode subscriptions, traffic, and trust, even without verbatim copying.Deals are becoming more specific. Expect narrower permissions and more constraints on how data can be used for training or product features.Risk is moving through contracts. Indemnification is common, but it is only as strong as the indemnifier’s balance sheet and insurance.Attribution is the missing bridge. A clear “this came from” pathway could reduce conflict and rebuild value for original publishers.Agentic browsing will raise the temperature. When AI acts as a user proxy, blocking and enforcement become harder, and the business questions get sharper.👤 Guest 🔗Jason Henderson    🔗Senior Attorney, JWL International    🔗Founder, Castle Bridge Media      🔗Co-host, Castle of Horror podcast (horror movie coverage) About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026

A tech-forward journalism professor unpacks how AI is changing how he teaches reporting and what it means for the entry-level jobs that are increasingly endangered.  AI is not just changing how journalism gets made. It is changing how journalism gets taught.In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Kris Hodgson-Bright, professor of digital communications and media at Lethbridge Polytechnic in Alberta, Canada, to unpack what happens when AI enters the newsroom and the classroom at the same time.Kris has seen journalism education evolve from high-volume print production to an online first, multi-platform workflow spanning campus news, radio, TV, and emerging formats. Now, he is putting AI directly into the curriculum, not as a shortcut for writing, but as a research assistant that can strengthen reporting, sharpen critical thinking, and help students confront one of the biggest challenges in modern media: bias and trust.Pete and Kris explore where AI fits in journalism training, where it doesn’t, and why transparent guardrails matter. They also dig into the job market reality for new journalists and communicators, plus the promise of immersive storytelling, including 360-degree video, VR, and photogrammetry, as a way to deepen understanding and empathy.Along the way, the conversation surfaces some of the most difficult questions facing the media right now: how much automation is too much, where responsibility still sits with the human journalist, and how educators can prepare students for an industry that is evolving faster than any syllabus. This is a grounded conversation about the future of media work: hopeful about what AI can enhance, and clear-eyed about the slippery slope toward low quality content and atrophied thinking.Why this mattersAs AI becomes embedded in every part of media, the next generation of journalists and communicators will be judged on more than writing skills. They will be judged on judgment: bias awareness, ethical decision-making, transparency, and the ability to use tools without surrendering the work of thinking.What we coverHow journalism education shifted from print heavy production to online-first publishingThe right way to integrate AI into student workflows without outsourcing the writingUsing AI to check for bias and improve historical context in local reportingWhat transparency and disclosure should look like in AI-assisted mediaMedia law, ethics, privacy, and how to teach responsible AI useWhy the journalism job market is harder and what students can do to stand outImmersive journalism, empathy, and what VR still gets right even without mass adoptionKris’s hopes and fears about AI’s long-term impact on media👤 Guest🔗Kris Hodgson-Bright | Lethbridge Polytechnic🔗Kris Hodgson-Bright (@hodgsonkr) / Posts / X🔗krishodgsonbright/LinkedIN To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the freshly updated Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.aiProduced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

A candid look at how aggregation, personalization, and trust shape news discovery in an AI-driven internet.Yahoo has been part of the internet’s front door for more than two decades. But what does it mean to guide audiences through news today, when consumption is fragmented, trust is fragile, and AI is reshaping how information is found, summarized, and shared?In this Season 4 conversation of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal sits down with Kat Downs Mulder, GM of Yahoo News, to unpack how one of the largest digital media platforms in the world is rethinking aggregation, personalization, and user habits in the age of AI.From audio-first experiences and AI-powered summaries to the integration of Artifact’s technology into the Yahoo News app, Mulder explains how Yahoo is balancing innovation with responsibility while supporting original journalism across a noisy, algorithm-driven ecosystem.Why This MattersAI is no longer just a back-end optimization tool. It is actively shaping how audiences encounter news, how trust is maintained, and how publishers survive. This episode offers a rare inside look at how a major aggregator is navigating those shifts thoughtfully, without racing ahead of the facts or sacrificing credibility.For media leaders, journalists, creators, and product teams, this conversation surfaces real-world lessons about where AI adds value, where human judgment remains essential, and why aggregation still plays a critical role in a healthy information ecosystem.What We Cover in This Episode 👇 • Why Yahoo still matters as a major gateway to news • How AI is reshaping content aggregation and personalization • Why audio is becoming a powerful habit-building news format • What Yahoo learned from integrating Artifact into its app • How AI summaries drive deeper engagement rather than replace it • Balancing speed, scale, and trust in AI-driven news products • How publishers and creators coexist inside Yahoo’s ecosystem • Why user behavior matters more than age or demographics • What an agent-driven web means for the future of news discovery👤 GuestKat Downs MulderGeneral Manager, Yahoo News : https://news.yahoo.com/ 🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katdowns🔗 X (formerly Twitter):https://x.com/katdowns 🔗 Yahoo Press Announcement:https://www.yahooinc.com/press/yahoo-appoints-kat-downs-mulder-as-svp-amp-general-manager-of-yahoo-news🔗 Speaker Bio (Digital Content Next Summit):https://events.digitalcontentnext.org/next-summit-2023/speaker/636864/kat-downs-mulder📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

As the year wraps up, we’re taking a pause from weekly interviews to share a curated Best of the Year in AI.This special episode of The Media Copilot is a look back at the conversations that defined the past year...the questions, tensions, and turning points shaping how media, journalism, and technology intersect right now.Over the past year, Pete has spoken with some of the sharpest minds working at the center of AI, publishing, and platform design. And while the tools keep evolving, the same core questions kept resurfacing:How should creators and publishers be compensated in an AI-driven world?Where does transparency end and exploitation begin?Who actually controls the future of information, and who should?In this Best Of episode, you’ll hear standout moments from those conversations, including: • How publishers are navigating AI licensing, attribution, and revenue • Why the rise of AI agents and scraping tools is forcing a rethink of digital rights • The growing tension between innovation and consent • What ethical AI actually looks like in practice, not theory • Why human judgment, context, and trust still matter more than everFrom conversations with leaders at ProRata, Cloudflare, Taboola, Factiva, and more, this episode captures the real debates happening behind the scenes — beyond the headlines and hype.🎙️ Featured Voices Bill Gross – Founder & CEO, ProRataAnnelies Jansen – Chief Business Officer, ProRataMark Howard – Chief Operating Officer, Time (formerly Time Inc.)Adam Singolda – CEO, TaboolaToshit Panigrahi – CEO & Co-Founder, TolbitAurélie Guerrieri – Chief Marketing & Alliances Officer, CloudflareStephanie Cohen – Chief Strategy Officer, CloudflareMark Riley – Founder & CEO, Mathison AITraci Mabrey – General Manager, FactivaTrip Adler – Founder & CEO, Created by HumansIf you care about the future of media, the economics of creativity, or how AI is reshaping who gets paid and who gets left behind, this one’s for you.🎧 Listen now to The Media Copilot: Best of 2025 — and stay tuned for what’s next.📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

AI has turned verification into a newsroom survival skill.Please support the sponsor of this podcast: PodPitch.com is a software that thousands of people use today to book podcasts with a 4% booking rate. It’s the most updated podcast email database and it comes with a custom-trained AI that learns YOUR voice and applies what works from more than 10 million previous pitches to optimize your own reply rate. Now one comms pro has the power of a 10-person team.Join Golin, Weber, Edelman, Finn, Broadhead, 5W and more in seeing a live demo today.Click here now to book time to check out PodPitch: https://new.podpitch.com/mediacopilotIn this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal talks with James Law, Editor-in-Chief of Storyful, about how newsrooms verify social and user-generated video in an era of AI, deepfakes, and viral misinformation.Law explains how verification evolved from the Arab Spring, when social media footage became central to breaking news, to today’s flood of viral clips and AI-generated video designed to look like real eyewitness content. He breaks down Storyful’s verification workflow, why metadata still matters, and how every clip is checked for date, location, and source.They also discuss the limits of AI detection tools, the rise of “harmless” synthetic videos that erode trust, and why authenticity and transparency matter more than ever for newsrooms.What We Cover- How Storyful verifies video at scale- Why AI detection tools fall short- The role of metadata and raw files- The growing trust problem in digital media- Why authenticity outperforms polish on social platformsAbout the GuestJames Law is Editor-in-Chief at Storyful.🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaw21/ 🔗 X: https://x.com/JournoLawJ 🔗 https://storyful.com/about/📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

The surprising places AI helps journalists, and the places it really doesn’t.AI in journalism can feel abstract until you talk to the people actually shipping products inside newsrooms. In this episode of The Media Copilot podcast, host Pete Pachal talks with Darla Cameron, Chief Product Officer at The Texas Tribune, about what happens when AI meets real reporting, real audiences, and real constraints.Darla comes from a background in data journalism and visual storytelling at places like the Washington Post and now leads product at a nonprofit newsroom that has been experimenting with custom tools, data explorers, and audience-driven experiences for more than a decade. In the wide-ranging discussion, she shares how the Tribune defines product as the interface between content and audience, and how AI and automation are starting to reshape that work without replacing journalists or eroding trust.From transcription tools and meeting analysis to tightly scoped chatbots and AI-narrated stories, Darla walks through what is actually working inside the Tribune, what quietly failed, and the principles that guide every experiment.Why This MattersNews organizations are being squeezed from all sides. Reporters are expected to cover more with fewer resources. Audiences are drifting into AI-powered interfaces that sit between publishers and their readers. At the same time, trust in institutions is fragile and any perceived shortcut can damage a brand that took years to build.Darla offers a grounded reality check from inside a newsroom that is embracing experimentation while drawing clear lines. The Tribune has an AI policy that explicitly says AI will not replace journalists. They do not use AI to generate news stories or images. They are very deliberate about where automation helps and where human judgment is non negotiable.For anyone working in media, product, or audience strategy, this conversation is a practical guide to using AI as an assistive layer rather than a replacement. It is about how to adapt to new tools without losing the thing that makes your journalism worth trusting in the first place.What We CoverWhy “product” matters in a newsroom and how it links journalism, design, and audience engagement.Real-world examples: using AI to transcribe interviews or analyze podcasts for reporting.What The Texas Tribune’s AI policy looks like: when automation helps, and when human verification is essential.Why the Tribune refuses AI-generated images and prefers real photography for accountability and trust.Lessons from building chatbots and interactive tools — including what worked, what didn’t, and what the team learned.How audience feedback guides when and how to use AI, especially in a nonprofit news model.About the GuestOfficial bio: Texas Tribune – Darla Cameron The Texas Tribune Professional profile: LinkedIn – Darla Cameron📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

The Taboola CEO explains how USA Today’s DeeperDive changes news discovery, and why publishers might need “chat” after all.AI is rewriting the rules of digital media and few people have had a closer view of the shift than Adam Singolda. In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal has a candid conversation with the Taboola founder about where the open web is headed and why the next era of audience discovery may look nothing like the search driven world we grew up in.Adam has been building Taboola since 2007 and continues to shape one of the largest advertising and recommendation platforms on the open web. He shares what publishers often miss about AI, how performance advertising is evolving, and why trusted media brands may hold more power than ever as chat based discovery becomes mainstream.Why This MattersMedia is in a moment of rapid transition. Search traffic is shifting, conversational queries are becoming a default behavior, and publishers are being pushed to rethink how they attract and retain audiences. Adam offers rare insight from inside a global platform that sits at the center of these changes. He explains how AI is reshaping revenue models, what publishers can do right now to stay competitive, and why this new interaction layer may redefine how journalism is discovered and consumed.What We Cover• Adam’s journey from founding Taboola in 2007 to running a global advertising and recommendation platform• How Taboola positions itself as the performance engine of the open web• What the company has learned about audience behavior across thousands of publishers• How AI is changing advertising performance, engagement, and publisher economics• The impact of declining search traffic and the rise of chat based discovery• The creation of Taboola’s Deeper Dive experience and how users actually interact with AI on news sites• Why publishers need to experiment with AI quickly or risk losing ground• How trust and brand identity give premium publishers an advantage in the AI era• What adoption looks like when you introduce AI directly into media workflows• The future of LLM monetization and why Adam sees a major opportunity for journalismMore…Learn about Taboola’s mission, how it started — https://www.taboola.com.     Taboola.com+1  LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamsingolda📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal talks with Mark Howard, Chief Operating Officer at Time, about how a century-old newsroom is adapting to a world where readers increasingly turn to AI systems for information.Howard explains how Time approached AI not as a passing trend but as a shift in how journalism will be discovered and consumed. He walks through the decisions behind partnering with AI companies, the work required to safeguard Time’s archive, and how the Time AI Agent grew out of experiments with summaries, translations, and audio briefings.The conversation offers a clear look at the practical choices a legacy media brand faces when it tries to stay trusted in new formats without compromising the reporting that built its reputation.What we cover in this episode • How Time decided to negotiate with AI companies instead of taking an adversarial stance • The behind-the-scenes systems created to protect IP and track bot activity • The evolution from Person of the Year experiments to daily AI audio briefings to the Time AI Agent • Why the agent is grounded only in Time’s archive and what that means for accuracy and trust • How Time is approaching AI marketplaces, enterprise licensing, and the agent to agent web • What this shift means for the newsroom, editorial workflows, and audience relationshipsLearn more Mark Howard on Time https://time.com/author/mark-howardThe Story Behind the TIME AI Agent https://time.com/7332572/the-story-behind-the-time-ai-agentMark on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdhowardMark on X https://x.com/markdhoward This post was drafted with AI and then carefully edited by Media Copilot editors.📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

Michael Rubenstein on how “brand agents” are reshaping advertising, publishing, and the Internet itselfWe’ve spent decades trying to make digital advertising smarter. Cookies, pixels, and data exchanges promised personalization but delivered clutter, tracking fatigue, and declining returns. Then came AI, bringing the chance not just to improve ads, but to completely reimagine how brands and audiences interact.In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Michael Rubenstein, Co CEO of Firsthand and one of the original architects of modern ad tech. After helping launch DoubleClick’s Ad Exchange (later acquired by Google), Rubenstein is now building something that feels like the opposite of programmatic advertising, a world where brand “agents” don’t just target you, they talk to you.Instead of static banners or pre-rolls, these AI-driven brand agents act like adaptive digital representatives that engage, inform, and even create content on the fly. They’re built to live anywhere, inside a publisher’s story, across a retailer’s site, or within a chat experience, meeting consumers wherever they are and responding in real time to what they actually want.This conversation explores how brand agents are transforming advertising into an intelligent, intent driven dialogue, and what that means for publishers, marketers, and the future of media.What We Cover: • How AI driven brand agents are changing advertising and media engagement • Why this new model removes invasive tracking and builds real consumer trust • How publishers can use adaptive experiences to grow audience value • Why AI represents not automation but communication • The cultural and ethical stakes of rebuilding advertising around AI conversationsIn Closing AI is taking down the old walls of the Internet. The question isn’t whether advertising and publishing will change, it’s whether they can adapt fast enough to stay relevant.The future, as Rubenstein says, isn’t programmatic, it’s personal.Connect with Michael Rubenstein: 🔗 Firsthand.ai 💼 LinkedIn – Michael RubensteinX (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mrubenstein99Listen to the full episode of The Media Copilot with host Pete Pachal and guest Michael Rubenstein on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. 👉 Visit mediacopilot.ai for more on our classes, insights, and upcoming episodes.(AI-assisted)📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Inside how AI is actually being used inside media companies today— and what success looks like when it’s done right.In this episode of The Media Copilot podcast, Pete Pachal speaks with John Levitt, COO of Elvex, about how AI is actually being adopted inside newsrooms and media organizations today. Not the hype. Not the pitch deck version. The real workflows happening behind the scenes.Elvex works with major media companies to build internal AI environments that support reporting, fact-checking, content repurposing, sales operations, research, and product strategy. John has a rare view into the daily shift in how teams work, collaborate, and adapt.This conversation explores: • How editorial, business, and product teams are already using AI • Why culture and leadership framing determine whether AI succeeds • Where AI reduces repetitive work without replacing journalists • What "context engineering" means and why it matters more than prompts • How media companies can experiment with AI safely and responsibly • The next shift toward agent-to-agent workflows and personalized news experiencesIf you work in media, journalism, audience growth, newsroom operations, AI product development, or leadership strategy, this episode breaks down what is actually changing and what is coming next.GUEST: John Levitt https://www.elvex.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmlevitt/ 📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel.For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2025

What if AI could make us better writers instead of replacing us? The next chapter of the internet may do exactly that by using technology to strengthen creativity rather than erase it.Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, joins The Media Copilot with Pete Pachal to talk about the new reality of writing in an AI world. As algorithms reshape how stories are created and shared, Stubblebine believes we are entering a writing renaissance where technology helps writers stay focused, authentic, and connected to their readers.They explore:The collapse of free-content economics and the rise of the post-Google internetWhy Medium is betting on smaller, more human writing communitiesHow AI can enhance creativity rather than erase itThe tools that will keep writers in flow and make the act of writing joyful againIf you care about creativity, technology, and the future of storytelling, this is a conversation you should not miss.📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso 🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© AnyWho Media 2025

What if AI could read your book, learn from it, summarize it, and remix it, all with your permission and a paycheck? Trip Adler is working to make that possible.Trip Adler co-founded Scribd, helped pioneer book subscriptions, and knows publishing inside and out. Now he’s back with a new mission: protect human creativity in the age of AI.In this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal talks with Trip about his latest venture, Created by Humans, a licensing platform that helps AI companies access creative works legally, starting with books. They dive into:How AI companies are scraping content without permissionWhat “AI rights” actually are and why creators need to define them nowWhy licensing for training, RAG (reference), and transformation should all be separateHow Trip’s “Fourth Law of Robotics” could reset the power dynamic between human and machineWhat the $3,000-per-book Anthropic case tells us about future settlementsAnd why this could be the next big revenue stream for authors and publishersIf you're a writer, publisher, AI builder, or just someone who wants creators to get credit and compensation in the AI era, this is the conversation to hear.What You'll LearnBooks are emerging as the front line in the battle between human creativity and artificial intelligence and understanding why is key to navigating what comes next. You'll learn how AI rights differ from traditional copyright law and why that distinction matters for anyone working in publishing, media, or technology. It also explains what AI companies can and should be paying to use creative works and how those payments change depending on whether the content is being used for training, reference, or transformation. You will come away with a clearer understanding of why these categories are not interchangeable and why defining each one is essential. Most importantly, the conversation highlights why authors deserve transparency, control, and compensation when their work helps power an AI product.GUEST:  Trip AdlerCo-Founder of Scribd Founder of Created by Humans   🔗 createdbyhumans.ai | LinkedIn 📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube?  Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso 🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© AnyWho Media 2025

As AI eats the internet, publishers are fighting to keep control. Raptive’s Chief Growth Officer, Marc McCollum, says it’s not the end of the open web, it’s a chance to rebuild it on creators’ terms.In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Marc McCollum, Chief Growth Officer at Raptive, to talk about the future of media in the age of AI.Raptive powers over 6,000 creators and 200 enterprise publishers and Marc argues that the key to survival isn’t joining the platforms, it’s owning your audience.From the impact of AI Overviews on search traffic to the rise of Google Discover as a quiet growth engine, they break down what’s really happening behind the analytics. Marc also calls out Big Tech’s “free-content” problem, explains why licensing and pay-per-crawl models could reshape revenue, and shares why recipe sites might just be the unsung heroes of the AI era.If you care about the open web, creator independence, or where AI-powered media goes next—this conversation is essential.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:Why AI summaries are crushing clicks—and what to do about itHow creators can stay profitable when SEO and affiliate models fall shortWhy owning your site and email list is still your best moveWhat Raptive’s data reveals about traffic winners and losers in 2025The quiet power of Google Discover and how to make it work for you GUEST:  Marc McCollum, Chief Growth Officer, Raptive 🔗 raptive.com | LinkedIn📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel 🔔For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso 🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© AnyWho Media 2025

 Local news without politics, crime, or chaos? Meet the startup making it happen.In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal talks with Ryan Heafy, co-founder of 6AM City, about how his team is flipping the script on community journalism—using AI to scale responsibly while keeping human editorial judgment at the center.Discover how they’ve expanded from a few test cities to 410+ local markets with a “Seed-to-Profit” model, how their anti-scraping strategy builds trust from the ground up, and why they just acquired controversial AI startup Good Daily—not for the headlines, but for the infrastructure.Whether you're in media, tech, marketing, or just want smarter news in your inbox, this one's for you.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:How 6AM City uses AI to launch, test, and scale new marketsWhy newsletters are the future of local media—and why most will failHow 6AM avoids outrage bait and click-driven newsWhat they really got from acquiring Good DailyHow to build content that survives Gmail filters, TikTok scrolls, and voice assistantsWhy their inbox model might outlast traditional journalism👥 GUEST: Ryan Heafy — Co-Founder & Chief Local Officer, 6AM City 🔗 LinkedIn | 🌐 6amcity.com📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel 🔔For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso 🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© AnyWho Media 2025

Social feeds turned news into a rage machine. Cory Ondrejka says it’s time for a reset! Use AI to cut the noise, respect your time, and deliver journalism that actually matters.For years, the way we consume news has been warped by engagement algorithms that reward outrage and overwhelm. With attention hijacked and trust eroding, millions have simply tuned out. But what if AI could help fix what it broke?On this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal talks with Cory Ondrejka, former Facebook and Google exec (and co-creator of Second Life), now at SmartNews, where he leads the development of NewsArc; an AI-powered app that curates the best single article on each major news event. No doomscrolling, no junk summaries, and no ragebait. Just clarity, curation, and a front page you can trust.Why this matters now:News avoidance is at record highs, and trust in media is cratering. NewsArc offers an alternative: a shared, AI-assisted “Daily Dozen” that highlights the most informative reads, respects journalistic integrity, and compensates publishers fairly. With LLMs used for claim-checking, not content theft, the app delivers a smarter, calmer news experience for readers who want to be informed, not inflamed.Key Topics:🔹 Why social feeds broke the news🔹 How NewsArc uses AI to elevate not replace journalism🔹 The problem with summaries and the power of “claim-level” analysis🔹 Why a shared front page matters in a polarized world🔹 How SmartNews compensates publishers in the LLM era🎙 Guest: Cory Ondrejka | EVP, SmartNews / Creator of NewsArc LinkedIn | smartnews.com 📩 Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel 🔔For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso 🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0© AnyWho Media 2025

 AI engines are siphoning off billions in value from publishers. Bill Gross says it’s time to flip the model: charge for crawls, share revenue on answers, and build the “conversation layer” that keeps audiences engaged.If the 2010s were about gaming Google with SEO, the 2020s are about surviving AI’s takeover of distribution. Global pageviews are down 25% in a year, roughly $100B in value shifted from websites to AI engines without compensation. Bots now outnumber human visitors by staggering ratios, and publishers are footing the bill.On this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal talks with Bill Gross, founder of ProRata and creator of Gist AI, an ethical AI search platform backed by 750 publishers. Gross makes the case for a new deal: pay publishers when AI crawls their sites, share revenue when AI uses their work, and build experiences that move beyond “ten blue links” to true conversations with audiences.Why this matters now:Web traffic is plunging and is down 250 billion views a day, or about $100 billion a year in lost value. Bots now scrape far more than they give back, with Google at 12:1 and some AI engines hitting 1,200:1, leaving sites like Wikipedia footing huge server bills. Bill Gross’s solution is Gist AI, a publisher-backed search platform with 750 partners, 30 million documents, and a 50/50 revenue share model.Key Topics: 🔹 The economics of zero-click search 🔹 Why one-time licensing checks won’t sustain publishers 🔹 How “sponsored supplements” could reinvent ads in AI answers 🔹 Why publishers should stop chasing SEO tricks and focus on true value 🔹 What Gross calls the “conversation layer” and why it’s the next big battleground🎙 Guest: Bill Gross | Founder & CEO, ProRata | https://www.linkedin.com/in/billgrossidealab https://gist.ai/ https://prorata.ai/ 📩 And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter  and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

If the last decade was about platforms swallowing the press, the next one is about AI mediating everything…how we find news, what we trust, and who gets paid. On this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal welcomes Justin Hendrix, CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press, a nonprofit dedicated to provoking debate at the intersection of technology and democracy. Hendrix’s path from The Economist to NYC Media Lab to founding a policy newsroom, shapes a rare perspective; he speaks policy, product, and press. Who sets the rules for AI and media—industry, government, or the public? Justin Hendrix argues the answer starts with competition policy and ends with better equilibria for democracy.Topics we cover🔹 Copyright and AI training: The battle between fair use and “giant theft,” why the U.S. path may be decided in court, and how commercialization complicates the ethics. 🔹 Power concentration: How antitrust and the Digital Markets Act could serve as tectonic levers to rebalance control between platforms and publishers. 🔹 Quality versus “good enough”: AI hallucinations, the shift to AI as the first stop for answers, and what’s at stake when accuracy is the product. 🔹 The “beat China” argument: Why urgency-driven narratives risk steamrolling communities, due process, and environmental review in the name of AI infrastructure. 🔹 Search, remedies, and AI distribution: What Google’s antitrust outcomes could mean for AI-driven search and publisher leverage. 🔹 Where media could go next: Licensing to AI agents, building owned agents, or a future where AI firms hire thousands of journalists themselves. 🔹 Policy capacity and trust: Why the government’s tech knowledge gap matters and how Tech Policy Press is helping close it for lawmakers and regulators. 🔹 Behavior shift: From NPR commutes to chatbot conversations, and the emerging risks of AI companionship and blurred lines between utility and dependency.Guest: Justin Hendrix — CEO/EditorTech Policy Press :https://www.techpolicy.press/ 📩 And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter  and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

 Publishers don’t need bigger walls—they need dials. Here’s how to see, price, and shape LLM and agent activity instead of getting steamrolled by it.If the last two years were about discovering that AI agents are vacuuming up the web, the next two will be about deciding what to do about it. Do you block, meter, license - or build your own agent and make the bots pay?On this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal welcomes Aurélie Guerrieri, Chief Growth Officer at DataDome, a Forrester-recognized leader in bot defense. Together, they dive into the new reality of AI-driven traffic: from LLM crawlers and real-time “prompt-time fetching” to the rising tide of agentic activity that acts on users’ behalf. Instead of framing the debate as simply good bots versus bad bots, the conversation explores a more practical lens: identity versus intent, and how publishers can reclaim control, revenue, and visibility in an internet increasingly shaped by AI distribution.Why this matters now🔹Scale & speed broke the old defenses. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs - servers that cache and deliver website content from locations closer to users) and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs - security systems that filter and monitor HTTP traffic between users and web applications) still matter, but they adapt in minutes. Attackers now act in seconds and from distributed IPs that look like everyday users.🔹AI changed the mix of traffic. DataDome sees enormous growth in prompt-time fetching - LLMs hitting your most valuable pages (latest articles, pricing, paywalled previews) 20:1 compared with traditional crawling in some cases.🔹The business model is shifting. “Open web” ≠ “open season.” Publishers need to decide who gets access, for what, and at what price - and they need tooling that can enforce those choices in real time.“AI is part of the problem—and part of the solution. We use AI to fight AI.”    -  Aurélie GuerrieriHow can publishers fight back against AI bots—and turn them into new revenue streams instead of lost traffic?Key topics:🔹Why the future of AI governance is about identity and intent, not just “good vs. bad bots” 🔹How prompt-time fetching targets publishers’ most valuable content in real time 🔹The rise of agentic activity and why it can be both powerful and dangerous 🔹Why static defenses like content delivery networks (CDNs) and web application firewalls (WAFs) are being outpaced 🔹How DataDome uses AI to fight AI, stopping more attacks and restoring visibility 🔹New monetization models: pay-per-fetch, APIs, and even building owned agents🔹Lessons from Cloudflare vs. Perplexity and what they mean for publisher control 🔹Guerrieri’s advice to media leaders: measure, control, and experimentHer bottom line: the future of publishing isn’t about keeping bots out, but about shaping how they come in—and making them pay for the privilege.🎙 Guest: Aurélie Guerrieri | CGO,  DataDome | LinkedIn 📩 And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

From “subscriber‐financed stalwart” to AI trailblazer—how The Atlantic built an AI task force, overhauled its search strategy, and struck bold licensing deals to future-proof quality journalism.This week on The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, to unpack how one of America’s most storied publications is navigating the AI revolution. Under Nick’s leadership, The Atlantic has become a rare legacy‐media success story—profitable, subscriber-driven, and bold in its AI strategy. From launching an internal task force post-ChatGPT to pivoting away from Google-first traffic, to striking a licensing deal with OpenAI despite staff unease, The Atlantic’s journey offers a playbook in balancing journalistic integrity, business sustainability, and technological innovation. Nick brings both enthusiasm for AI’s potential and a clear-eyed realism about its impact on news discovery and trust.Pete and Nick dive into: 🔹 The AI Task Force’s findings on search traffic decline and what it meant for The Atlantic’s business model 🔹 Behind the scenes of The Atlantic’s licensing agreement with OpenAI—and why it ruffled editorial feathers 🔹 How “agents” and personalized AI tools will reshape how readers find and engage with journalism 🔹 The Atlantic’s ethics playbook for AI: rules, guardrails, and editorial oversight 🔹 Striking the balance between subscriber trust, profitability, and fearless experimentationWhether you’re a media professional, tech enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of news, this episode offers rare insight into how a leading publication is plotting its course through one of the most tumultuous eras in media history.🎙 Guest: Nicholas Thompson | CEO, The Atlantic | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasthompson📩 And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

Cloudflare’s move to block AI bots by default could reshape how content is protected online—raising new questions about copyright, scraping, and the future of AI training data.This week on The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal welcomes Stephanie Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer of Cloudflare, for a conversation that couldn’t be more timely.On July 1st, Cloudflare announced a game-changing move: any new domain hosted on its massive network will automatically block AI bots from scraping content. That’s a major escalation in the growing fight over who gets to access and use data on the internet—and how.Cloudflare is far from a minor player. It routes 20% of global internet traffic, and its decision to restrict bot access by default could redraw the boundaries of the AI economy. As generative AI companies train their models on vast amounts of publicly available content—often without consent—this kind of infrastructural pushback may mark a turning point.Pete and Stephanie dive deep into: 🔹 How Cloudflare identifies and blocks AI bots in real time 🔹 Why this decision matters more than individual publishers adding "robots.txt" 🔹 What enforcement looks like when AI companies try to sneak around restrictions 🔹 The potential ripple effect across the rest of the internet 🔹 Whether we’re heading toward an AI content economy—and what that might look likeIt’s a conversation that raises urgent questions about digital rights, platform responsibility, and the blurry future of content in the AI era.Whether you're a journalist, technologist, or just someone who cares about the future of the web, this episode is essential listening.🎙 Guest: Stephanie Cohen | https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieecohen Chief Strategy Officer, Cloudflare | https://www.cloudflare.com/ 📩 And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

From “news wholesaler” to AI innovator—how the Associated Press is adapting to new audience habits, synthetic content, and search-native journalism.This week on The Media Copilot podcast, host Pete Pachal sits down with Troy Thibodeaux, Director of AI Products and Services at The Associated Press. A pioneer in AI-powered journalism, Troy has been ahead of the curve—long before ChatGPT made AI a household name.With AI search platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google’s AI Overviews reshaping how people access news, media companies are being forced to rethink their entire approach. But the AP occupies a unique space in the ecosystem: it’s a news wholesaler, serving thousands of outlets rather than individual readers. So when audiences demand instant summaries, auto-generated podcasts, and AI-written rundowns, the AP’s biggest challenge isn’t competition—it’s maintaining editorial integrity across every remix.Pete and Troy unpack: 🔹 How the AP defines “liquid content” and where AI fits in 🔹 The ethical boundaries and red lines around synthetic news 🔹 Why adapting to AI isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a newsroom culture shift 🔹 How the AP’s structure gives it an edge in the AI news arms raceIf you care about the future of journalism and how legacy institutions are rewriting their rulebooks for an AI-powered era, this episode is essential listening.🎙 Guest: Troy Thibodeaux Director of AI Products & Services, The Associated Press  |https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-thibodeaux/ And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

Inside Particle’s mission to fix the way we consume headlines—with AI summaries, source transparency, and more.This week on The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal welcomes Sara Beykpour, CEO of Particle, an AI-powered news app that’s rethinking what it means to aggregate information in 2025.Unlike traditional aggregators that simply pile stories into a feed, Particle uses artificial intelligence to assemble a comprehensive summary of any given topic—highlighting key facts, surfacing original sources like tweets or trailers, and analyzing bias across coverage. It’s curation with context, and it’s changing how people interact with the news.Pete and Sara dig into:🔹 What makes Particle different in a long line of aggregator apps 🔹 How “liquid content” turns a 30-minute article into an 8-minute podcast 🔹 The concept of personalized news agents powered by AI 🔹 Why AI is giving users more control than ever over how they consume mediaWhether you’re in the trenches of journalism, building tools for content creators, or just trying to stay informed in a smarter way, this episode is packed with insight.🎙 Guest: Sara Beykpour CEO of Particle | Follow on LinkedInAnd if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

Hugging Face’s media liaison talks trust, tech, and why the next great newsroom might look more like a dev team.This week on The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal welcomes Florent Daudens, longtime Canadian journalist and now Press Lead at Hugging Face, the open-source powerhouse behind many of the AI models driving today’s innovation.Florent’s unique position—right at the intersection of the developer world and the newsroom—makes him one of the most insightful voices on how AI is reshaping journalism from the inside out. Before joining Hugging Face, Florent led teams at the CBC, and now he's helping build real tools that actually work for journalists.Pete and Florent dig into: 🔹 How to overcome journalists' lingering skepticism about AI 🔹 Why the line between editorial and product teams is disappearing 🔹 The rise of the “product-minded reporter” 🔹 The future of AI discovery—and what the “Internet of Agents” might look like 🔹 And yes, they talk AIEO—the next evolution of SEO for an AI-driven media landscapeWhether you're experimenting with AI tools in your newsroom, navigating editorial strategy in a shifting ecosystem, or just trying to understand what’s next, this conversation is a must-listen.🎙 Guest: Florent Daudens :https://fdaudens.com/en/index.html Press Lead, Hugging Face Follow him on LinkedIn  : https://ca.linkedin.com/in/fdaudens And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

There's something in TollBit's latest State of the Bots report that really jumped out at me. The major AI companies—notably Meta, OpenAI, and Google—have essentially given themselves permission to ignore robots.txt for their user agents. In the big picture of AI scraping it might seem like a detail, but it feels to me like a turning point from liberally interpreting the mechanisms for protecting content to brazenly flouting them.I put this question directly to TollBit CEO Toshit Panigrahi when he joined me on this week’s Media Copilot podcast. A little background on TollBit: It’s a startup that specializes in helping publishers monetize their content when AI bots come calling. As everyone knows, the AI internet is rising fast—people are using chatbots to search the web, and those chatbots are giving them answers, not links. And if there was any doubt that this was a fad or not very impactful, Tollbit's most recent State of the Bots report for the first quarter 2025 puts that notion to rest. AI scraping is way up, and it's very quickly becoming comparable to scraping from search engines like Google or Bing.That's one of several eye-opening, and in some cases worrisome, data points in the report, and Toshit and I dive deep into the most important ones. Like I mentioned, AI companies are now starting to openly ignore long-standing internet standards, effectively letting them crawl any "publicly available" content with impunity. What happens if this trend is left unchecked, and what can publishers do about it? We get into all the details, and their implications.If you're stressed about what agents are going to mean for the media ecosystem, you definitely don't want to miss this one.This episode covers:Why AI bots are ignoring robots.txt and what it means for publishers right nowHow the rise of agent-based scraping is quietly reshaping the open webThe surprising data behind how much AI scrapers take vs. how little they give backWhat a “new value exchange” with AI looks like and how publishers might get paidWhere all this is headed if nothing changes — and what needs to happen next🎙 Guest: Toshit PanigrahiCEO of TollBitFollow him on LinkedInAnd if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License© AnyWho Media 2025

What does it take to get AI to notice your content? Scrunch AI’s Chris Andrew shares the secret sauce.On this episode of The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal welcomes Chris Andrew, CEO of Scrunch AI, to unravel the mysteries of AI-driven search. As AI platforms increasingly summarize news without driving traffic back to publishers, the game of visibility is changing. Chris explains how Scrunch AI is helping content creators understand and optimize for "AI SEO," a new frontier that goes beyond traditional search algorithms.Pete and Chris dive deep into the emerging concept of "SEO for Chatbots"—why AI-generated summaries are redefining content discovery, and how publishers can adapt to avoid getting buried in the noise. They also explore the uncomfortable truth: AI summaries are designed to be self-contained, reducing the need for users to click through to the original source.If you’re a media executive, content strategist, or just curious about the shifting landscape of digital publishing, this conversation is packed with practical insights and bold predictions.This episode covers:🔹 AI SEO: What it is and why it's the next content battleground🔹 The Clickless Future: How AI summaries are shifting audience behavior🔹 Publisher Panic: Why media outlets are scrambling to adapt🔹 AI’s Surface Area Problem: Fewer sources, fewer clicks, and what that means🔹 Scrunch AI’s Strategy: How Chris Andrew’s platform is re-engineering content for AI   visibility🔹 New Rules of Engagement: What publishers need to know to stay relevant🎙 Guest: Chris Andrew -CEO of Scrunch AI       Follow him on LinkedInAnd if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

AI risk and the tenacity required.In this special episode of The Media Copilot podcast, we're diving into the seismic shifts AI is causing in digital publishing. I recently hosted a webinar on AI Risk and Resilience for Publishers, where we unpacked how AI search engines are disrupting traditional traffic flows and what that means for content creators. The implications are significant: if audiences no longer need to visit publisher platforms to get information, how do publishers maintain visibility and revenue?To explore this challenge, I sat down with David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies and former Director of Platform Strategy at the Financial Times. David has been at the forefront of analyzing how AI impacts media consumption, and he's developed a methodology to assess risk levels for publishers in an AI-driven world.Joining us is Will Barker of BluConnick, a company focused on enhancing audience engagement through first-party data. Together, we discussed how publishers can create AI-resilient content strategies and maintain their audience relationships in the age of AI-generated summaries.Key Topics Covered:The rise of AI-driven search and its impact on publisher trafficHow to identify content most at risk for AI substitutionStrategic approaches to maintain audience loyalty and engagementLeveraging first-party data to optimize reader experienceListen in as we uncover the roadmap for resilient content in an AI-first world. Whether you're a publisher, content strategist, or media executive, this episode will equip you with the insights needed to navigate this technological shift.And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔🎙️ Guests:David Buttle Founder of DJB StrategiesFormer Director of Platform Strategy at Financial TimesLinkedIn ProfileDJB Strategies WebsiteWill BarkerManager for Customer Success at BluConnickLinkedIn ProfileBluConnick WebsiteYou can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

When chatbots summarize your reporting instead of sending audiences to your website, who really wins—and how can creators fight back?Ahmed Malik, CEO of ScalePost, joins The Media Copilot to unpack the act of AI disintermediation. It’s a term that’s thrown around a lot, but it’s just a fancy word for when an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Perplexity writes a summary based on a topic instead of directing a person to a website.That's the basic thing AI services do, but if you think about it, even if the user doesn't have to read the website anymore, the chatbot does. The thing is, chatbots don't look at ads, they don't buy subscriptions, and they sometimes don't even respect paywalls.Because of this simple idea, AI search is rewriting the economics of the web. But what if media companies could push back and get paid? That’s where Malik and ScalePost come in. As a bridge between publishers and AI platforms, ScalePost helps news organizations protect their work, monetize their data, and create a dialogue with the tech companies shaping the future.Ahmed and I  break down:The hard truth about how AI is siphoning traffic—and what bot activity means for the future of metricsWhy evergreen content is especially vulnerable to AI disruptionWhat ScalePost is doing to make private deals and licensing discussions possibleHow media companies are thinking beyond lawsuits to carve out new business modelsWhat the Ziff Davis lawsuit against OpenAI signals for the industry at largeAhmed also shares insight from ScalePost’s closed-door sessions with major publishers and AI platforms—giving us a rare peek into how the media business is negotiating its future in an AI-dominated landscape.If you’re a journalist, media executive, or content creator wondering how to stay relevant—and solvent—in the age of generative AI, you’ll want to hear this one.-If you’re enjoying The Media Copilot, don’t forget to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leaving a rating or review helps more people discover the show. If you're watching on YouTube, be sure to like and subscribe for weekly episodes on how AI is reshaping media, journalism, and content creation.You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

Jane Barrett, Head of AI Strategy at Reuters, joins The Media Copilot to share how one of the world’s largest news agencies is actively shaping the future of AI in journalism—without crossing the line on trust.AI is rewriting the rules of content, but who’s writing the rules for AI in newsrooms? At Reuters, Jane Barrett is making sure they’re not written for them. As Head of AI Strategy, Barrett has led one of the most ambitious and thoughtful integrations of artificial intelligence in a major newsroom—balancing innovation with editorial ethics at every step.This week on The Media Copilot, I talk to Barrett about how Reuters went from “wait and see” to “lead and shape” when it comes to generative AI. From building new workflows to launching the Reuters AI Suite, the global news agency isn’t just experimenting—it’s operationalizing.In our conversation, we cover:How Reuters got its 2,500+ journalists to embrace AI tools without fearing obsolescenceWhy generative video and imagery are off-limits—and what that says about editorial valuesThe tension between using AI for speed and preserving the nuance of human reportingWhy Reuters’ B2B AI Suite is less about automation and more about augmentationThe hard truths about “publicly available” content and how publishers are fighting backBarrett also shares the internal strategy behind launching AI products for business customers, how trust and transparency guide every deployment, and why AI shouldn’t be viewed as a newsroom shortcut—but a newsroom collaborator.If you’ve ever wondered how legacy media can innovate without compromising its soul, this episode is a masterclass in doing just that.—If you’re enjoying The Media Copilot, don’t forget to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leaving a rating or review helps more people discover the show. If you're watching on YouTube, be sure to like and subscribe for weekly episodes on how AI is reshaping media, journalism, and content creation.You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License https://filmmusic.io/song/4855-favorite© AnyWho Media 2025

Jonathan Roberts of Dotdash Meredith unpacks how one of the largest digital publishers is adapting to AI and the changing nature of online audiences.The media business is no stranger to disruption—but AI is changing the rules of engagement faster than most companies can respond. At Dotdash Meredith, Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Jonathan Roberts is trying to stay not just afloat, but ahead. This week on The Media Copilot, I talk with Jonathan about how one of the biggest names in digital publishing is confronting—and capitalizing on—AI’s rapid rise.Dotdash Meredith is home to household-name brands like People, InStyle, and Investopedia. But behind the glossy covers and evergreen SEO content is a highly engineered operation—one that’s been data-forward for years. From its proprietary ad tech platform D/Cipher (built to thrive in a post-cookie world) to deep integrations with OpenAI, the company is betting on innovation as its survival strategy.In our conversation, we cover:Why Dotdash leaned into its OpenAI partnership early—and how it’s paying off in real-timeThe evolving relationship between editorial integrity and algorithmic optimizationHow personalization at scale is being done without compromising trust or qualityWhat AI agents mean for traffic, SEO, and the entire structure of online publishingWhether we’re heading toward a future where humans don’t browse websites—they just askJonathan shares how Dotdash is adapting its product, content, and monetization models to survive in an environment where Google is no longer the gateway to the internet—and where AI summaries may be the only thing standing between your brand and invisibility.We also talk about what’s not changing: the need for trusted, human storytelling—and the critical role publishers still play in shaping how information flows online. But how do you fund it? That’s the tension we explore.This is a candid, smart look at the state of play in media innovation—one that pulls back the curtain on how digital publishers are rethinking their entire business to meet the moment.—If you’re enjoying The Media Copilot, don’t forget to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leaving a rating or review helps more people discover the show. If you're watching on YouTube, be sure to like and subscribe for weekly episodes on how AI is reshaping media, journalism, and content creation.You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License https://filmmusic.io/song/4855-favorite© AnyWho Media 2025

A revealing conversation with NewsGuard’s Steven Brill on trust, truth, and the battle for clean data in the AI age.  The AI era is rewriting the rules of media — but what happens when disinformation sneaks into the algorithms shaping what we see and believe?This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Steven Brill, a legend in the journalism world and co-founder of NewsGuard, the company working to restore trust in news. Steven’s media legacy includes launching Court TV, creating American Lawyer magazine, and authoring bestsellers on health care, education, and much more. But his latest focus? Making sense of AI’s impact on information integrity.In this episode, we dive into:The bombshell NewsGuard report exposing a Russian propaganda campaign that infiltrated AI training dataWhat this means for platforms like ChatGPT and PerplexityHow to fight misinformation inside the machineWhether NewsGuard itself can stay unbiased — and how it handles criticsWhat’s next for NewsGuard in the AI era (including an exclusive announcement: NewsGuard’s TrueNews AI, a small language model that indexes only sites NewsGuard deems “not unreliable”)If you care about the future of media, credibility, and the truth itself in a world shaped by AI, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.Listen now to hear from Steven Brill on the fight to keep our information ecosystem clean — and how we all have a role to play.Coming up: Free Webinar – April 10I'm also hosting a live webinar on Thursday, April 10 with David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies. We'll be taking a deep dive into AI substitution risk — how AI-powered search engines are summarizing the news, killing clicks, and reshaping publisher economics.We'll cover:What types of content are most at riskWhy AI search is disrupting audience engagementTactical strategies to protect and future-proof your content businessVisit mediacopilot.ai to register and secure your spot.The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the podcast on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

By using AI, hyperlocal news platform Patch expanded from 1,100 to over 30,000 communities in a matter of months. How they did it without creating slop.This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Warren St. John, CEO of Patch, to explore how AI is driving this exponential growth. Patch’s AI-powered newsletters can now spin up hyperlocal updates for virtually any ZIP code in the U.S., offering a new model for personalized, community-driven journalism at scale. But what does this mean for the editorial process, and how does AI fit into a model that has already made Patch a profitable success?In this episode, we dive into: • How Patch uses AI to create high-quality, hyperlocal newsletters• Why ChatGPT can’t replicate what Patch is doing—yet• The surprising reaction of Patch’s editorial team to this AI-driven shift• What this level of scale means for the future of local news• How to scale AI in media without sacrificing qualityIf you're curious about how AI can empower, rather than replace, local journalism—or how media companies can harness AI to grow without diluting their editorial integrity—this conversation is a must-listen.🎧 Tune in now to hear how Warren St. John and Patch are redefining the future of hyperlocal news.Connect with Warren St. John - https://www.linkedin.com/in/warren-st-john-b17a8788/?trk=pprof-feed Or check out Patch: https://patch.com/ Don’t Miss This! Webinar on AI Substitution Risk – April 10thIf you’re interested in AI’s impact on the media, I’ve got something else for you. Join me, Pete Pachal, and David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies, for a deep dive into AI substitution risk on April 10th.AI-powered search engines summarize content, siphon off clicks, and threaten revenue. But what can publishers do about it? This webinar will provide a roadmap for content strategy that breaks down: ✅ Which types of content are most vulnerable ✅ Tactics to mitigate substitution risk ✅ Actionable insights to future-proof your media business📅 Sign up now at mediacopilot.ai and get ahead of the AI curve.And as always, if you’re enjoying The Media Copilot, I’d be grateful if you’d: ✅ Follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen ✅ Leave a rating or review—it helps more than you know ✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that notification bell 🔔AI is reshaping the future of media. Let’s make sure it’s a future worth building.-This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.© AnyWho Media 2025  

We're slashing the price of our AI course for PR and media professionals for one day only.The results from the first cohort of AI for PR & Media Professionals are in. The six-week AI training course closed on Tuesday with two dozen students showing capstone projects that incorporated advanced AI techniques like automations and custom tooling, often pairing them with popular tools like Perplexity and Claude. The AI-enhanced workflows they created are going to save them hours of tedious work every week.And now we're about to do it all again.On March 18, the second cohort of AI for PR & Media Professionals begins. Over the course of six weeks, we're going to take a group of students from basic prompting all the way to developing their own specialized monitoring tools and tailored assistants. And there's still time for you to join.Want more detail before signing up? That's exactly what fellow instructor Peter Bittner and I explore in this week's Media Copilot podcast. We unpack some specific lessons in the course, why they can move the needle for communications work, and what we learned from our students.Even better, we're offering a big discount on the course for one day only. If you buy a spot now, you can save 30% off a $1,499 ticket — taking the price down to $1,049. Just use the code FLASH30 at checkout. Payment plans are also available.Still need convincing? How about this testimonial from one of the new graduates: "The tools and techniques have saved me countless hours while opening doors to new client opportunities. My family has noticed the difference too—they're proud to see me embracing these technologies with such enthusiasm. This course has truly been empowering."Spring 2025 cohort participants will gain practical experience in:Building automations that streamline routine PR tasks, significantly improving workflow efficiencyUtilizing tools like GPT for Sheets and Excel to generate insightful data and automate complex analysesConstructing custom GPT systems to manage real-time crisis scenarios with precise, consistent messagingCreating AI-driven media strategies and visualizing ROI with automated data analysisDeveloping customized media monitoring systems that spot trends competitors might overlookEach attendee receives two personalized coaching sessions, ensuring the skills acquired directly apply to their unique professional challenges. Graduates consistently report tangible benefits: tasks previously taking hours become manageable in minutes, enabling PR pros to expand their business into new sectors confidently.Listen to the podcast to get a feel for what makes the course so special (more detail below), and hit me up directly if you have any questions.The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the podcast on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License© AnyWho Media 2025

When Dow Jones’ business intelligence service went down the path of AI, it was determined to avoid stepping on any copyright mines.This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Traci Mabrey, General Manager of Factiva, the business intelligence platform from Dow Jones. Unlike many AI companies that scrape publicly available data without permission, Factiva has secured licensing agreements with all 5,000 of its content providers—a bold move in an industry still navigating copyright battles.🔹 AI-powered summaries with real licensing: Factiva’s Smart Summaries uses AI to distill key insights from trusted sources—all with publisher approval. 🔹 The copyright conundrum: While many AI models train on unlicensed content, Factiva is proving that there’s another way. But how did they get 5,000 publishers on board? 🔹 Big tech vs. media rights: We discuss Factiva’s approach to indexing 3 billion articles and what happened when Google raised an eyebrow. 🔹 AI hallucinations & security risks: What safeguards are needed to ensure AI-generated summaries are accurate and trustworthy?Factiva’s strategy could signal a major shift in how AI and media coexist, prioritizing fair compensation and content integrity.🎧 Join the conversation: ✅ Is Factiva’s model the future of AI-driven media? ✅ Should AI companies be required to license content?if you want to level up your AI skills, check out my AI Training Course for PR & Media Professionals at mediacopilot.ai.The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the podcast on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License© AnyWho Media 2025

For decades, local journalism has been in decline—shrinking budgets, newsroom closures, and disappearing community coverage have left behind what experts call "news deserts." But could AI change that? Could it actually help rebuild local news, making it more accessible, efficient, and sustainable?This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Mark Riley, former Senior VP of Innovation at Dow Jones and founder of Mathison AI, to explore how AI is reshaping the future of journalism. Mark has been at the forefront of AI-driven media transformation for years, long before ChatGPT disrupted the industry. His company, Mathison AI, has developed a tool called Hana, which generates hyperlocal newsletters at scale—delivering customized, community-specific news with just a fraction of the effort traditionally required.While this sounds like a promising breakthrough, it raises critical questions:🔹 Can AI actually replace—or enhance—local journalism? With newsrooms gutted across the country, AI-generated reporting could fill gaps, but will it uphold journalistic integrity?🔹 How do we prevent AI from creating "news slop?" Without human oversight, AI-generated content can be bland, generic, or even misleading. What safeguards are needed to ensure quality and accuracy?🔹 Who controls the future of media? As AI tools become more prevalent, Silicon Valley’s influence over journalism grows. How do we make sure AI serves the public good rather than corporate interests?🔹 The ethical dilemma of automation: AI can help scale news production, but what happens to the journalists? Is there a way to integrate AI without sacrificing jobs and local expertise?This is a conversation about AI’s potential to solve one of journalism’s biggest crises—but also a reality check on the risks that come with automating news.🎧 If you care about the future of media, press play now to hear my discussion with Mark Riley on The Media Copilot!The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the podcast on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License© AnyWho Media 2025

AI is rewriting the rules of media, but not all change is for the better. As AI slop floods the internet, the battle over quality, ethics, and authenticity has never been more urgent.This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired, to dissect the murky world of AI-powered content farms. Her investigative reporting on how SEO masterminds are snapping up legacy media domains—like The Hairpin—to churn out AI-generated slop was a wake-up call for the industry. But is it all doom and gloom?In this episode, we discuss: 🔹 How AI is being used (and misused) to scale content for cheap clicks 🔹 The evolving media landscape—how can journalism adapt and thrive? 🔹 Who, if anyone, is actually getting AI content right? 🔹 The future role of AI in journalism—tool or takeover? 🔹 The latest Thomson Reuters ruling and what it means for copyright battles in AIIf you care about the intersection of AI, media, and journalism, this conversation is a must-listen.🎧 Tune in now to explore the future of AI-powered content with Kate Knibbs of Wired!The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the podcast on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License© AnyWho Media 2025

AI is fundamentally reshaping the media landscape, but who ensures that publishers get fairly compensated for their content? As AI companies build massive language models, they often rely on vast amounts of content—much of it scraped from publishers without proper attribution or payment. This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Annelies Jansen, Chief Business Officer of ProRata AI, a company on a mission to change that. Founded by investor Bill Gross, ProRata AI is tackling one of the most pressing issues in AI and journalism: the unauthorized use of original reporting to train AI models. Their solution? A system that tracks AI-generated answers back to their original sources, ensuring publishers are recognized and compensated for their work. Unlike other startups in this space, ProRata already has dozens of publishers on board, including The Financial Times and Axel Springer. They’re not just building a tracking system—they’ve also developed their own AI-powered search engine, Gist, which grants access to premium publisher content while ensuring fair compensation. In this episode, we discuss: 🔹 How ProRata AI’s model differs from other AI-compensation initiatives 🔹 The challenge of mediating AI content without stifling innovation 🔹 Why ProRata’s partnerships with publishers could redefine AI training models 🔹 The growing ecosystem of startups tackling the same problem—are they competitors or allies? As the media industry grapples with AI disruption, ProRata AI is shaping what a well-mediated, sustainable AI future could look like. If you’re interested in the future of journalism, AI ethics, and media compensation, this episode is a must-listen. For AI training tailored for media, marketing, and PR professionals, visit mediacopilot.ai to learn more about our upcoming classes. 🎧 Hit play now to explore the future of AI and media with Annelies Jansen of ProRata AI! The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the podcast on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

AI is changing the way people tell stories — both PR professionals and journalists. Is it possible both might lose the most important part: authenticity? The media and communications industry is undergoing a seismic shift, and AI is at the center of it. From content creation to media relations, artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how PR professionals, journalists, and storytellers operate. This week on The Media Copilot, I sat down with Dan Nestle—a longtime communications executive, AI enthusiast, and founder of Inquisitive Communications. Dan has spent years helping brands craft compelling stories, and as the host of The Trending Communicator podcast, he’s made it his mission to decode the chaos of modern communications. Unlike many in the industry, Dan has the freedom to dive deep into AI tools, experiment with emerging tech, and rethink media relations at a time when both PR professionals and journalists are using AI in ways that change the game. In this episode, we discuss: How AI is helping fuel the trend of “going direct” Why more content isn’t always the answer (and what actually works) The impact of DeepSeek and other next-gen AI tools on communications How PR professionals can balance AI-driven efficiency with authentic storytelling At a time when AI is disrupting nearly every facet of content creation, one truth remains: the human connection still matters. Dan shares his insights on how PR professionals can leverage AI without losing sight of what truly drives engagement—great storytelling. If you’re in PR, media, or content creation, this conversation is essential listening. And if you’re looking to gain hands-on experience with AI tools, check out The Media Copilot’s AI for PR & Media Professionals training course. Our next six-week cohort begins February 4, 2025, and spots are filling up. Learn more and sign up at mediacopilot.ai. Press play now to dive into the future of PR, AI, and storytelling with Dan Nestle. And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔

AI is transforming the newsroom, redefining how journalists gather and analyze information, and pushing the boundaries of efficiency and storytelling. This week on The Media Copilot, I’m joined by Francesco Marconi—AI pioneer, former Associated Press executive, and founder of AppliedXL, a company revolutionizing how we extract actionable insights from real-time data. Francesco’s career spans over a decade of innovating at the intersection of AI and journalism, starting in 2011 when he helped the AP leverage algorithms to turn datasets into stories, from earnings reports to sports stats. Now, at AppliedXL, Francesco is building tools that empower reporters and analysts to filter through the noise—think social networks, news websites, and endless feeds—and zero in on what truly matters. By streamlining the "gathering" part of news gathering, AI is enabling journalists to focus on deeper storytelling and analysis. In this episode, Francesco and I explore: How AI-powered tools are reshaping the newsroom's workflow. The balance between automation and human creativity in journalism. The blueprint for building an AI-first newsroom that works for—and with—journalists. Stick around until the end, where Francesco shares his daily productivity hacks using AI and offers his vision for the future of media in an AI-driven world. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss—press play now! If you're looking to dive deeper into the practical applications of AI, check out The Media Copilot’s AI training courses for media and PR professionals. Our next six-week cohort begins on February 4, 2025, offering hands-on training to help you automate workflows, craft smarter campaigns, and harness the power of AI in your day-to-day work. Learn more and sign up at mediacopilot.ai. The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the podcast on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

AI is redefining how PR professionals and journalists collaborate, bringing new efficiencies while challenging the balance of authenticity and connection. This week on The Media Copilot, I’m joined by Michelle Songy—founder and CEO of Press Hook, serial entrepreneur, and one of the most innovative minds at the intersection of AI and media. From her start in finance in London to founding a fintech startup acquired by American Express, Michelle’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Now, she’s leading the charge in reshaping how PR pros and journalists connect in a world increasingly influenced by AI. In this episode, Michelle shares how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing PR outreach—streamlining workflows while avoiding the pitfalls of spammy, impersonal communication. Together, we explore: The delicate balance between efficiency and authenticity in AI-driven outreach. The challenges and opportunities AI presents for storytelling in media. The strategies PR professionals and journalists can adopt to thrive in this new landscape. Stick around until the end, where Michelle reveals her vision for the future of PR, her thoughts on AI agents, and the ambitious plans she has to take Press Hook to new heights. The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the podcast on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025

AI tools are becoming essential partners for writers and creators, opening new possibilities for research, storytelling, and bringing ideas to life. This week on The Media Copilot, I’m joined by Alexandra Samuel — author, data journalist, keynote speaker, and one of the most forward-thinking voices on the intersection of creativity and AI. Alexandra doesn’t just use AI as a tool; she’s embraced it as a full-fledged collaborator, crafting innovative workflows that are as inspiring as they are practical. Currently immersed in writing her next book on managing information overload, Alexandra is exploring how neurodivergent strategies can help us thrive in a data-saturated world. With AI by her side, she’s producing at a lightning pace — 50,000 words in just over a week — proving that when humans and technology work together, the results can be astounding. In this episode, Alexandra breaks down how she’s integrated AI into her creative process, from generating ideas to fine-tuning her writing. We discuss the mindset required to treat AI as a partner and how these approaches can reshape productivity and storytelling in profound ways. Make sure to stick around until the end, where Alexandra offers a bold vision for the future of media: a world where creators embrace AI to unlock new heights of ingenuity, efficiency, and connection. The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the podcast on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2024

From custom news summaries to uncovering biases, AI can do a lot more than follow trends. This week, I’m excited to talk to Robert Caulk, Founder of Emergent Methods and the creator of AskNews. Rob has spent years exploring the intersection of AI, machine learning, and media, and his latest project brings a fresh perspective on how we consume news. AskNews isn’t just another chatbot—it’s a tool designed to analyze and present news with clarity, breaking down articles into facts, analysis, and differing viewpoints. In our conversation, Rob and I dive into the ways journalists and newsrooms can use AI to craft better stories, improve analysis, and engage audiences. We also discuss Rob’s belief in the power of open-source AI and why transparency is key to fostering trust in media technology. Don’t miss the end of the episode, where Rob shares actionable advice for those navigating the early stages of adopting AI in the media. - The Media Copilot is a podcast and newsletter that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore our courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use AI tools, tailored for media, marketers, PR professionals, and other content creators. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the podcast on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other podcast apps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Favorite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License © AnyWho Media 2025