The First in a New Series of Expert Policy Briefs Examines Why We Must Establish a Framework for Valuing Journalism in the Age of Generative AI – And How to Do It

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Washington, DC – The Open Markets Institute has published the first in a new series of expert briefs designed to provide policymakers, journalists, advocates, and other stakeholders, with an overview of a particular problem caused by monopoly power and a set of clear, leading solutions for addressing it. 

The first brief, “A Framework for Establishing Journalism’s Value in Artificial Intelligence Systems,” authored by Dr. Courtney Radsch, director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets, describes the urgent need to establish a framework for valuing the news, particularly the journalistic content used to train AI’s large language models. Ensuring that the news is properly valued – and journalists and publishers are fairly compensated – is one of the most effective ways to preserve freedom of the press and sustainable news media in the AI era, as the ways in which people look for trustworthy and reliable news and information continue to evolve. 

“To adapt their business models for the AI era, news publishers need to demand their rights and work collectively to put a figure on the value of journalism to artificial intelligence systems and assess the threat posed to future revenue and business models. But journalism cannot be expected to adapt its business models to the AI era without interventions by policymakers to correct market imbalances, enforce intellectual property rights, and require data access and transparency. Industry action must go hand in hand with legislative and regulatory action,” Dr. Radsch wrote in the brief. 

“Dr. Radsch is a journalist and press freedom advocate who has been published and invited to speak around the world on market solutions to address Big Tech upending journalism’s business model and putting the news business and our democracies in crisis. We are glad to have her introduce the first of these new expert briefs with a focus on the critical issue of valuing the news and information used in AI systems,” said Open Markets Executive Director Barry Lynn. 

Dr. Radsch also spoke to the urgent necessity of valuing the news in the AI age at the International Press Institute’s World Congress in Sarajevo. You can watch her May 23rd panel discussion here

Learn more about the Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets at www.journalismliberty.org.  

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