• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Content scraping is not solely the concern of publishers and newsroom lawyers. Consumers are also worried about it, according to a study from OnMessage Inc. that was delivered at the National Association of Broadcasting (NAB) Show New York. 

Of the consumers polled: 76% are concerned about AI stealing or reproducing journalism and local news stories, 51% being very much so, OnMessage reported. 

Moreover, 77% want Congress to pass a law making it illegal for AI to steal or reproduce journalism without permission or compensation. And 59% strongly support this.  

On another front, 68% distrust information produced by AI, while 26% do accept it. And 72% believe the federal government should place guardrails on AI.  

One can be skeptical of these findings. With all that is going on, are most consumers aware enough of content scraping to have strong feelings about it?  

Maybe they are worried about the security of their data. And there has been much publicity about lawsuits against alleged content scrapers. 

“This data reflects a real and growing concern among Americans that AI could erode the integrity of journalism and undermine the trusted connection between broadcasters and the communities we serve,” says Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of NAB, “Scraping broadcasters’ content without permission or compensation strips away context and threatens the credibility of local news.”

Following this presentation, the panelists discussed the pressures AI creates for local newsrooms. Shrinking margins, high production costs and increasing content misappropriation are threatening fact-based community journalism.