Traffic to news websites from search engines is set to fall this year as big tech embraces AI-generated responses to news queries, a report has predicted.
Referral traffic to news sites from Facebook and X/Twitter has fallen sharply over the last two years, with publishers now fearing a similar decline from search engines.
But while the use of AI by search engines may be harming news media, it is also being enthusiastically embraced by newsrooms, with 87pc of publishers viewing it as ‘transformational.’
Key uses of AI which publishers expect to implement during the next 12 months include turning text into audio, providing automated story summaries, and translations.
The findings and predictions are set out in an annual report on industry trends by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism which is published today.
The report, entitled Trends and Predictions 2025, was compiled following interviews with 326 senior digital publishing leaders in 51 different countries.
Nic Newman, pictured, senior research associate and author of the report, said: “News publishers face another uncertain year amid polarised politics, increased competition from alternative media including creators and influencers, and a new wave of disruption from AI.
“The way audiences access news is likely to change significantly in the next few years and that will require publishers to rethink their strategies around content, products and distribution”
Among the report’s key findings and predictions are:
* Up to 74pc of media leaders surveyed are worried about a decline in traffic from search as big tech companies integrate AI overviews and other ‘story-like’ responses to news queries. However some believe the rise of unreliable AI-generated content could bring audiences back to trusted media
* News organisations’ use of AI continues to increase across all categories, with 87pc of publishers saying that newsrooms are being fully or somewhat transformed by generative AI. The survey found up to 75pc would be actively exploring features that turn text articles into audio, provide AI summaries at the top of stories, or translate news articles into different languages.
* Publisher sentiment towards X/Twitter has worsened over the past year following the ‘politicisation’ of the network under Elon Musk. By contrast BlueSky and Google Discover are becoming more important traffic sources.
* Reader revenue models remain the most important source of income for 77pc of the publishers surveyed, ahead of both display (69pc) and native advertising (59pc.) However most of the managers surveyed are relying on three or four different, including events (48pc), affiliate revenue (29pc) and donations (19pc.)
The report also finds that publishers are ambivalent about whether the growth of ‘news influencing’ is good or bad for journalism. While 27pc feared institutional news reporting could get squeezed out, a similar percentage felt there is much that news organisations can learn from it in terms of storytelling creativity and building communities.
It found that most publishers are looking to “up their game” on video platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, where their content often struggles to compete with alternative sources such as personalities and influencers.
Overall, only 41pc of the sample of media managers said they were confident about the prospects for journalism in the year ahead, amid increased political polarisation and attacks on the press. However, up to 56pc say they are confident about their own business prospects, a significant jump on last year’s figure.