AI Needs Journalism—But Journalism Needs to Be Paid

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At MDDC Ad Services, we believe in the power of artificial intelligence. We use it every day to improve the efficiency of our marketing strategies, serve our clients more effectively, and analyze data faster than ever before. AI is not just a passing trend—it’s a vital tool that helps us stay competitive, creative, and forward-thinking. 

 

But we also believe in something equally vital: fair compensation for creators. And that’s where the current relationship between AI companies and the news media industry becomes deeply problematic. 

 

While generative AI has the potential to enhance productivity and deliver innovative experiences to users, many AI companies are building their products by extracting vast amounts of journalism content—without permission and without payment. This isn’t just an ethical concern. It’s an existential threat to the industry that provides the very foundation AI systems are built on. 

Journalism Is Not a Free Resource

High-quality journalism isn’t generated out of thin air. News organizations invest billions of dollars each year in professional reporters, editors, photographers, and fact-checkers who work tirelessly to uncover the truth, report on critical issues, and keep local communities informed. It’s a labor-intensive, often dangerous, and always essential service in a functioning democracy. 

 

Yet, large-language models developed by major AI companies are increasingly using this work to train and power their tools—without ever asking permission or paying for the content they’re ingesting. 

 

According to AI researchers, the “most prized data” for training these systems is precisely the kind of carefully crafted, high-integrity information found in published books, articles, and yes—journalistic content. That means AI tools are fueled by news stories from reputable outlets, sometimes even synthesizing or rewriting them in ways that compete directly with the original source, without attribution or benefit to the publishers. 

Scraping Without Consent

Most publishers, including many of our partners across Maryland, Delaware, and D.C., actively block web crawlers and use protective measures to prevent unauthorized scraping. But these tools are often ignored or evaded by AI developers. The use of bots and scrapers to harvest journalism content from websites—despite clear signals to stay out—is a violation of trust, and in many cases, intellectual property law. 

 

These AI systems don’t just scrape stories for training—they use the results to surface competing content through AI-powered search or summarization tools. This further reduces the incentive for users to visit the original news site. A recent study by TollBit found that AI search engines send 96% less traffic to news sites and blogs than traditional Google searches. That’s not just a dip in web traffic—it’s a massive blow to the business model that funds journalism in the first place. 

We Support Responsible AI

At MDDC Ad Services, we advocate for the responsible use of artificial intelligence. We believe in its potential to transform industries and empower organizations. But that future must be built on respect—especially for the intellectual property of journalists, publishers, and creators. 

We do not endorse the unauthorized and uncompensated use of quality journalism by AI companies. This practice undermines the very ecosystem that fuels our society with reliable, fact-based information. It’s unfair competition, plain and simple. 

 

Publishers deserve transparency. They have a right to know who is using their content, how it’s being used, and how they can protect their rights. Congress must act now to ensure that AI companies cannot continue to build billion-dollar products on the backs of unpaid, uncredited journalism. 

What Needs to Change

We join the News/Media Alliance and other advocates in calling for clear federal regulations to: 

  • Prohibit AI companies from using publisher content without authorization. 
  • Enforce transparency requirements so publishers can see who is using their content. 
  • Protect intellectual property rights across digital platforms. 
  • Establish a fair compensation model for content creators whose work trains AI models. 

These are not radical requests. They’re foundational principles that have long protected creative industries in the U.S.—from music and movies to software and books. Journalism deserves the same respect and protection. 

Journalism and AI Can Coexist—But Not Like This

There is a path forward where journalism and AI grow together. Where AI tools enhance the work of reporters rather than replace them. Where publishers can license their content in ways that support both innovation and sustainability. But we won’t get there if AI companies continue to treat journalism as free fuel for their engines. 

 

To learn more about how we can support responsible AI practices and protect journalism, visit supportresponsibleai.org. 

 

At MDDC Ad Services, we’re proud to use AI tools in our work. But we stand with news publishers in demanding that their work be respected, protected, and paid for. The future of local journalism—and the quality of the content AI produces—depends on it.