Inside HearstGPT, Pinterest’s AI Meltdown, the News/Media Alliance’s ProRata Move, and more...
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Today’s Long Read is a feature on Hearst’s sweeping AI transformation. With 8,000 staff trained in GenAI tools, the US publishing giant is moving fast—and deliberately. Maris Krieger, who helps lead the training initiative, says the results speak for themselves: AI usage is up 175%, and team collaboration has surged. But at what cost? The 200 redundancies at Hearst’s Manhattan HQ hint at the darker side of AI innovation—layoffs.
It’s been a big week…
Google Says News Has ‘No Measurable Impact’ on Its Ad Revenue
To challenge claims it owes billions to publishers, Google ran an experiment: Removing news from 13,000+ EU domains for 1% of users. Paul Liu, Google’s Director of Economics, says the ad revenue impact across Search, Discover, and Display Ads, “could not be statistically distinguished from zero.” Then why not roll it out to the other 99%? Asking for a media buyer.
GenAI in Media – 70+ Tools and Products From Around the World
Media analyst Kalle Pirhonen has created a live tracker compiling more than 70 GenAI tools and initiatives from global media organisations. The spreadsheet includes source links, use cases, as well as labels for text, audio, or video. A solid reference point—and a great source of inspiration.
Independent Launches AI News Service Called 'Bulletin' for Time-Poor Readers
UK digital news brand, The Independent, is using Google’s Gemini to generate 140-word story summaries—all reviewed by human editors—to reach readers too busy for in-depth coverage. Dominic Ponsford writes: “Time will tell if the new service brings new readers or cannibalises existing ones.” We’ll know by August.
Killed by AI: Pinterest Slayed Under the Weight of AI Slop
Pinterest is being crushed by AI-generated pins, fake bloggers, scammy ads, and AI imagery that have drowned out real, human-made content. Users are angry with one Redditor lamenting, “I once hoped Pinterest would be immune to 'Enshittification', but here I lie a camel with a broken back.” It’s on life support and someone’s tampering with the electrics.
The Boston Globe’s $1 Promo Offer Pays Off
A pivot to subscriptions alongside bold experimentation has paid dividends for Massachusetts’ paper of record. Digital subs have soared to 259k, with a 2027 target of 400k. A standout move was its $1-for-six-months offer that drove 1,700+ sign-ups in a single day—10x its daily average. Its dynamic paywall, with a rolling 45-day limit on free articles, has also goosed sign-ups.
Google Purge is Gutting Freelance Journalism
To protect SEO rankings from being penalised by what Google deems “unhelpful” or “thin” content, major publishers are culling freelance-written articles and severing contracts immediately. Exhibit A: Dotdash Meredith has laid off 100 freelancers and reassigned their work in-house. Exhibit B: Forbes is quietly scrubbing older content in fear of search demotion. Death by algorithm.
News/Media Alliance Cuts AI Licensing Deal With ProRata
In a landmark move, the News/Media Alliance has secured a 50/50 revenue-sharing agreement with ProRata AI. Its tool, Gist.AI, answers user questions using real news articles—now with proper licensing and payment to publishers. Early participants include McClatchy, the Atlantic, and MIT Technology Review. A real-world model for AI licensing? Too early to say.ChatGPT Isn't Sending Any Meaningful Traffic to Publishers
Ezra Eeman, Strategic Advisor for WAN-IFRA’s AI in News Media Initiative, states that while ChatGPT boasts massive user numbers, traffic referrals are minimal. He adds, “There is a critical need for more transparency. Without clear insights, publishers can't properly value their content or understand how it's being used by AI platforms.” Substitute ‘minimal’ for ‘pitiful’.
MUST READ: Adam Ryan, CEO at Workweek, says the next big media shift is here— people don’t want more information, they want less noise. Which is why AI-powered curation will be the next major shift in media. The only way forward is to, “create content that can’t be summarised” and to be, “so essential that AI can’t filter you out”. P.S. If AI soon controls inboxes, your list means nothing.
WAN-IFRA and FIPP Enter a Strategic Alliance
So the rumours are true…two of the leading trade associations in world publishing have formed a strategic alliance to, “foster greater collaboration and innovation within the industry through enhanced knowledge sharing and expanded resources.” A trial balloon for a full merger? With this calibre of collaboration, don’t bet against it.
AI TOOL OF THE WEEK: Voicenotes
A potential second brain? Voicenotes is an AI-powered tool that records, transcribes, and remembers everything, even items hidden within images. Notes, meetings, random thoughts, brain dumps—it’s far beyond Apple or Otter, and searches at a new level of depth. Syncs with Notion, Zapier, released on May 1st.
FREE REPORT: How Publishers Can Turn Gen Z Into Paying Subscribers
A collaboration between Danuta Breguła, MD for Paid Products at Ringier Axel Springer Polska and Liesbeth Nizet, Head of Future Audiences Monetisation at Mediahuis nv. TL;DR: Gen Z are sceptical, savvy, values-driven, and utterly unforgiving of inauthenticity. If you're not building products for them—social-first, video-rich, trustworthy, and emotionally intelligent—you’re done for.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: INMA Media Innovation Week, Dublin
Taking place in one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech hubs between 22-26 Sept 2025, attendees can participate in the Irish Media Study Tour, as well as dive into INMA’s inaugural Newsroom Transformation Hub. A stellar event that includes entrance to the Guinness Storehouse, but tellingly doesn’t guarantee an exit.
“175% Increase in AI Usage”: Hearst’s AI Training Pays Dividends
The recent open letter from Hearst CEO Steve Swartz was the sort of upbeat missive you’d expect from one of the giants of world publishing. However, tucked away in the small print were a few insights into how Hearst is navigating both the disruption and challenges AI presents.
Hearst has moved quickly, striking a landmark content deal with OpenAI in October 2024. The deal permits over 40 of its newspapers and 20+ magazine brands, including Esquire, Cosmo, and the Houston Chronicle, to be integrated into OpenAI’s products like ChatGPT.
However, as Swartz acknowledged in his letter, the company is contending with considerable “headwinds” and the possibility of zero profit growth for 2025. He noted that GenAI-powered search products are "costing our magazines and newspapers valuable digital traffic" and added that "new competitors are using generative AI to enter our markets as well, particularly in health."
In response, Hearst has made workforce education in AI a corporate priority, rolling out a comprehensive training programme for more than 8,000 employees across six divisions. The initiative, in partnership with Data Society, focuses on AI literacy, prompt engineering, and practical tools like Microsoft Copilot.
Training Pays Off: Measurable Gains in AI Adoption
The impact has been significant. Following 100+ instructor-led AI training sessions between May and August 2024 (each 90 minutes long), Hearst reported a 175% increase in AI tool usage. There was also a 200% rise in internal discussions focused on AI products and solutions, helping foster cross-team collaboration.
The training also helped to build confidence and inspired learners to use their new skills in their role and workflow. Post-training surveys added more nuance:
30% of survey respondents had never used GenAI tools prior to the sessions.
66% of learners said they felt confident writing a strong prompt.
61% planned to use HearstGPT in their daily roles.
84% reported a better understanding of the GenAI landscape and the importance of continuous learning.
Maris Krieger, Sr. Director of Talent, Learning & Development at Hearst, underscored the achievement: “In one calendar year, we empowered over 8,000 employees with generative AI literacy. That level of transformation doesn’t happen by accident—it requires a deliberate and well-executed plan.”
“HearstGPT is our internal proprietary GenAI tool similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The main benefit is that our conversation data is not shared and used for training public LLMs, which makes it secure for our colleagues.”
Krieger told me, "It hasn’t been a straightforward journey. There was scepticism at the start, but we also saw incredible enthusiasm, especially from GenAI champions within the content teams. Some of the most innovative ideas came from these early adopters who built internal tools and GPTs to increase productivity."
Hearst’s structured training programme stands in contrast to Bauer UK’s more informal approach, which relies on short, peer-led sessions held every two weeks. Despite the differences, both models highlight the value of sharing knowledge internally. At Hearst, this formal training is supported by its GenAI Champion programme—launched at the same time—which encourages continued learning, experimentation, and idea-sharing across teams.
AI’s Role in Hearst’s Future
In his letter to staff, Swartz emphasised that Hearst’s use of generative AI is focused on enhancing employee effectiveness and efficiency rather than replacing jobs per se. By automating routine tasks, he noted, staff can dedicate more time to innovation—developing new products and improving existing ones.
We are already seeing promising efforts by our colleagues using generative AI to help them create new data and media products, particularly at newspapers and in our health group. Steve Swartz, CEO, Hearst
Still, Swartz’s reassurance comes amid ongoing change. In late November 2024, the company laid off 200 employees at its Manhattan HQ, including 67 union members, according to the Writers Guild of America East. The timing—alongside a push into AI—has left some employees wondering how long human job security can hold.
Fears haven’t been calmed by a memo from the company’s president, Debi Chirichella, who told employees at the time that, “after a review of our business, we’ve decided to reallocate resources…we will scale back in areas that do not support our core strategy and eliminate certain positions as we reimagine our team structures to drive long-term growth.”
One thing is certain: Hearst is committed to AI as a strategic pillar. Not only does it plan further AI training and deeper tool integration, the company is positioning itself as a proactive leader in GenAI adoption.
Indeed, its dual strategy—embracing AI while prioritising human oversight—could serve as a model for others in media. The key question is whether this investment in education and innovation will ultimately safeguard the workforce or accelerate automation.
Job cuts at its Manhattan HQ suggest the latter. For the moment at least.
Further reading: Hearst Newspapers uses GenAI to transform its advertising department