The Scoop: Hearst-OpenAI deal highlights changing news ecosystem

OpenAI has entered into a content agreement with Hearst to allow the artificial intelligence company to use the publisher’s newspapers and magazines to train its products, including ChatGPT.

As part of the agreement, ChatGPT will include citations and direct links to Hearst content, providing transparency and easy access to the original stories, according to OpenAI. Hearst publishes over 40 newspapers, such as the Houston Chronicle and San Francisco Chronicle, as well as more than 20 magazines, including Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health.

Hearst will be paid for the use of its content, but terms weren’t disclosed.

Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst Newspapers, said that it’s “critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the heart of all AI products.”

News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, struck a similar content-licensing deal with OpenAI five months ago, which also has deals with the likes of Time, The Atlantic and the Associated Press. However, a number of media companies have accused OpenAI of using their content without any deal being in place.

Last December, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that chatbots pose a threat to NYT’s business. Several other news outlets, ranging from local newspapers to Raw Story and The Intercept, have also filed similar lawsuits against OpenAI.

Why it matters: AI-powered tools are dramatically changing how users consume news and information.

With its content agreements, OpenAI will enhance not only its chatbot but also its prototype search engine, SearchGPT.

Right now, Google is the search king, commanding the overwhelming majority of market share. It’s estimated that about 40% of total traffic to all news sites is driven by Google search. But by establishing these integrated media partnerships, OpenAI is creating tools capable of yielding higher quality content derived from trusted news outlets and subject matter experts.

That could make OpenAI more valuable to media relations pros – especially as Google has threatened to remove links to news sites in California, New Zealand and other places that have considered charging technology companies for posting their content next to ads. As search challenges rise, it’ll be important to understand the ins and outs of those engines to optimize content – earned or not.

“Bringing Hearst’s trusted content into our products elevates our ability to provide engaging, reliable information to our users,” Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO, said in a statement announcing the partnership.

Put simply: AI models trained on high-quality content will result in better results.

These types of arrangements are going to have a major effect on earned media. Understanding this landscape is key to tailoring SEO and media outreach for maximum organic reach.

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Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.