• by Ray Schultz , August 27, 2024

Gannett's decision to close its Reviewed site drew a harsh response from the NewsGuild of New York, which represents Gannett's unionized employees. 

“We are deeply troubled by Gannett's decision to shutter Reviewed,” says Susan DeCarava, president of NewsGuild New York “We are concerned for the future of dozens of workers represented by The NewsGuild of New York working at Reviewed, and about the broader impact of this announcement on the media industry at large.” 

DeCarava continued: “The Guild-represented workers at Reviewed have consistently held the line against the unethical use of AI and management's disregard for maintaining journalistic standards. Instead of relying on short-term gimmicks and ignoring the concerns over business practices raised by workers, Gannett should have realized that effective solutions come from working with employees, not against them.”

However, Gannett says the closure was strictly a business decision that had nothing to do with any AI episode. 

“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation,” said spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón, on Monday. “We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews.” 

Reviewed reportedly suffered from Google's frequent algorithm changes that hurt its business model. 

Last year, staff members  on USA Today noticed stilted product reviews in Reviewed that they suspected were written by artificial intelligence. Nobody had ever heard of the writers and there was no record of them, reports said. 

Gannett denied that it posted AI-written content. The shoddy articles were written by freelancers and did not meet Gannett’s editorial standards, a Gannett spokesperson told The Verge.