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The White House vs. Media, Ratings Records and a Local News Boost: February Media News Recap
Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s roundup of media news stories from the month. Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash
February was a whirlwind of media industry news. The White House’s ongoing battle with the media dominated headlines, but other stories also broke through. From initiatives to boost local journalism to newsrooms’ adoption of AI, social media shifts and more, there were plenty of big updates to keep media watchers hooked this month.
The White House vs. Media
It’s hard to believe that President Trump’s second term is less than two months in. A nonstop wave of executive orders, cabinet confirmations, government layoffs and more has kept journalists busy. One of the biggest, and most concerning, media stories in February came when the White House barred the Associated Press from several events after the wire service announced it would keep using the name Gulf of Mexico, rather than adopting Gulf of America – a switch that was announced in an executive order on Jan. 20.
The AP’s decision is a nod to its global user base and more than 400 years of precedent. AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said in a statement: “It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
In its own response to the decision, the White House Correspondents Association said, “The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor can they deny them access based on their editorial choices. This is a slippery slope that undermines the freedom of the press and can have serious consequences for democracy.”
Ratings Records
The New York Times announced its approval of the use of AI for its product and editorial staff. In addition to new AI training for the newsroom, it debuted a new internal AI tool called Echo, an in-house beta summarization tool.
“Generative AI can assist our journalists in uncovering the truth and helping more people understand the world. Machine learning already helps us report stories we couldn’t otherwise, and generative AI has the potential to bolster our journalistic capabilities even more,” the company’s editorial guidelines said.
Local News Boost
BuzzFeed announced plans to branch out as “a new kind of social media company” by launching its own social media platform. BF Island will allow users to use AI to create and share content around their interests and aims to be a joyful alternative to the current addictive social media feeds.
Ai Headlines
Here are some more AI headlines from the month:
• BuzzFeed to Launch New Social Media Platform Called BF Island • New York Times Approves Use of AI Tools for Newsroom • Other notable media headlines from the month include...
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