All posts tagged: Publisher

Publisher pulls horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ over AI concerns

Publisher pulls horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ over AI concerns

Published by skeptic

Hachette Book Group said it will not be publishing a novel called “Shy Girl” over concerns that artificial intelligence was used to generate the text. The novel was scheduled to be published in the United States this spring. Hachette said it will also discontinue the book in the United Kingdom, where it’s already available.  Although the publisher claimed the decision came after a thorough review of the text, reviewers on GoodReads and YouTube had been speculating that the book was likely AI-generated. And The New York Times said it asked Hachette about the “Shy Girl” concerns the day before the announcement. In an email to the NYT, author Mia Ballard denied using AI to write her novel, instead blaming an acquaintance she’d hired to edit the original, self-published version of “Shy Girl.” Ballard said she’s pursuing legal action, and that as a result of the controversy “my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do.” Writer Lincoln Michel and other industry observers have …

The non-profit publisher making local news pay in London

The non-profit publisher making local news pay in London

Published by Sam Flores

February 2026 editions of Social Spider newspapers Waltham Forest Echo, Enfield Dispatch, Barnet Post and Newham Voices. Picture: Press Gazette The publisher of four London local newspapers is expecting to be profitable for the second year running in 2026. But David Floyd, managing director of Social Spider CIC, said it had been “a real challenge” to get to that point in London’s “tough market” for local news. Social Spider, a social enterprise, publishes monthly print newspapers the Waltham Forest Echo (launched in 2014), Enfield Dispatch (2018), Barnet Post (2021) and Newham Voices (launched independently in 2020 but published by Social Spider since 2023). Online it also publishes Haringey Community Press (originally launched as Tottenham Community Press in 2016 but closed in print in 2024), Clerkenwell news website EC1 Echo (2019) in partnership with local charity The Peel, and the newly-launched Barking and Dagenham Star. Social Spider previously produced the magazine One in Four, written by and for people with mental health difficulties, between 2007 and 2014 when Floyd said they realised “there was an unmet …

Publisher ad alliance Ozone ties with Microsoft ad-buying platform

Publisher ad alliance Ozone ties with Microsoft ad-buying platform

Published by Sam Flores

Publisher online ad sales coalition Ozone has signed the first deal that gives it visibility on a major buy-side advertising platform. The deal enables ad-buyers to access Ozone’s online advertising inventory on the Microsoft Media Marketplace, a service used by 13,000 advertising customers. Ozone represents more than 500 media brands and claims to offer access to a monthly audience of more than 200 million people in the UK and US. It offers ad buyers a way to target publisher audiences at scale. Because Ozone has access to first-party publisher reader data, it claims to be able to deliver advertising in a more targeted way. Ozone offers publishers access to more advertisers and is able to charge buyers more because of its audience targeting data. Ozone chief revenue officer Craig Tuck said: “At Ozone, our mission has always been to provide a credible, premium alternative to the major digital platforms, and making it easy for brands to activate trusted audiences at scale has been key to our success. “Making Ozone’s audience deals available in Microsoft Media …

Washington Post Publisher Steps Down Days After Painful Layoffs

Washington Post Publisher Steps Down Days After Painful Layoffs

Published by Sam Flores

Will Lewis arrived at The Washington Post as the storied paper was working to shed 240 employees, saying then that as a result of faulty financial projections, “We’re not in a place that we want to be in and we need to get to that place as fast as we can.” The British media exec had come to the US to be CEO and publisher of the Post, starting in January of 2024. “My plan is to arrive and for us to together craft an extremely exciting way forward. I can smell it. I can feel it. I know it,” Lewis said in his first meeting with the newspaper’s staff. Two years later, “exciting” might not be the word that Post staffers would use regarding the publication’s “way forward.” The 148-year-old paper, which since August of 2013 has been owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, laid off over 300 journalists last week, a move that killed off its sports and books section, and left its local and international teams diminished. And Saturday, Lewis was out …

Washington Post CEO And Publisher Quits As Newspaper Implodes In Epic Chaos

Washington Post CEO And Publisher Quits As Newspaper Implodes In Epic Chaos

Published by Jenni Sidey

How the mighty have fallen. In a “poetic ending” plot twist, that even jaded conspiracy theorists would have had trouble scripting, Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis has abruptly and unexpectedly stepped down from his perch atop Jeff Bezos’s crumbling media empire. Well, maybe not that unexpectedly… Will Lewis, the chief executive and publisher of The Washington Post, has stepped down That’s right, the same WaPo that spent years hurling “fake news” grenades at us here at ZeroHedge, trying to get us deplatformed, demonetized, and disappeared from the internet, is now eating crow as their own house of CIA-funded cards collapses. Yes, this is our unapologetic victory lap – we’ve outlasted another establishment hack, which earlier this week saw an in house “Red Wedding” where hundreds of CIA conduits “reporters” were fired… and it feels good. Lewis’s exit was announced late on Saturday around 6pm ET, just days after he orchestrated a bloodbath of layoffs that axed a whopping 30% of the staff – over 300 journalists sent packing in what can only be …

Stibo DX signs content technology deal with major Japanese publisher

Stibo DX signs content technology deal with major Japanese publisher

Published by Sam Flores

Pictured left to right: CEO of Shizuoka Shimbun, Shinko Ōsuga , Go Oishi (representative director and chairman at Shizuoka Shimbun), Lau Harting Jeppesen (CCO of Stibo DX) and Gert Bendsen (CFO of Stibo DX). Stibo DX has signed a deal to provide a comprehensive content platform for one of Japan’s leading regional media organisations. The implementation of the CUE media enterprise platform from the Denmark-based technology company will streamline Shizuoka Shimbun’s media operation workflows, accelerate digital innovation and support the company’s long-term operational strategy. The partnership marks a significant step in Stibo DX’s expanding presence in Japan as it adapts its CUE platform for the country. Modifications of CUE for Japan include: – A native Japanese-language application interface – Support for Japanese media operation workflow – Support for Japanese-language digital and print production. The company also plans to establish a permanent presence in Japan. Chief Commercial Officer at Stibo DX Lau Harting Jeppesen said: “We are excited to welcome Shizuoka Shimbun to the global CUE community. “Our platform, our presence in Japan, and our commitment …

DMGT reports revenue dip as Google changes hit traffic for Mail publisher

DMGT reports revenue dip as Google changes hit traffic for Mail publisher

Published by Sam Flores

The logo of the Daily Mail is displayed on a smartphone screen. Picture: Bangla press/Shutterstock Digital advertising revenue at the publisher of the Daily Mail fell by 15% last year. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) blamed the impact of Google’s AI Overviews on traffic to its websites in its financial results for the year to 30 September 2025. DMGT also publishes the Mail on Sunday, Metro, The i Paper and the New Scientist. Overall consumer media revenue at DMGT was down 2% overall year on year to £600m. It has declined 9% in the past three years. Lord Rothermere took DMGT into private ownership at the start of 2022. Since then consumer media revenue has declined every year – although it continues to make up 55% of group revenue. Digital advertising was down 15% to £148.3m last year, making up a quarter of consumer media revenue. Website traffic was “adversely affected by the introduction of AI overviews by search engine providers, resulting in fewer users clicking through to news websites”, DMGT said. In December …

Prince Harry becomes emotional after day of dramatic evidence against Mail publisher | UK News

Prince Harry becomes emotional after day of dramatic evidence against Mail publisher | UK News

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prince Harry became emotional as he finished an intense day of evidence against the publisher of the Daily Mail – telling the High Court his wife Meghan’s life had been made an “absolute misery”. The Duke of Sussex spent about two hours being cross-examined by Associated Newspapers Limited’s lawyer, at times appearing visibly frustrated with the line of questioning. He told the court the idea that he has no right to privacy is “disgusting” and it was “fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we wanted was an apology and accountability”. Harry, 41, has brought legal action against Associated Newspapers (ANL) over alleged unlawful information gathering between 1993 and 2011, alongside fellow claimants Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, and Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish. You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to share Share Prince Harry smiles leaving court ANL strongly denies the claims and also says they have been brought too late. After two days of opening …

Prince Harry’s privacy case is ‘threadbare’ and journalist sources were legitimate, lawyer for Mail publisher tells High Court | UK News

Prince Harry’s privacy case is ‘threadbare’ and journalist sources were legitimate, lawyer for Mail publisher tells High Court | UK News

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prince Harry’s privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail is “threadbare” and has been brought too late, a lawyer for the news outlet has told the High Court. Opening the case for the defence, Anthony White KC said journalists for the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday sourced articles legitimately and have “compelling” accounts of doing so which will be shown during the trial. Along with Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, campaigner Baroness Lawrence and politician Sir Simon Hughes, Harry is accusing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of unlawful information gathering during a period between 1993 and 2011. As it happened: Mail knew Harry gave ex set of keys, court case against publisher told The allegations range from tapping their phones and bugging their homes to obtaining private information by “blagging”, or deception, through the use of private investigators. ANL is defending against what it has called “preposterous” claims and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Image: Liz Hurley and her son Damian spent the morning in …

Prince Harry: It’s his biggest case against the press and the stakes are high for the duke and the publisher of the Daily Mail | UK News

Prince Harry: It’s his biggest case against the press and the stakes are high for the duke and the publisher of the Daily Mail | UK News

Published by Daniella Wilson

He’s spent years fighting the tabloids, but arriving at the High Court was a moment Prince Harry wanted the cameras to capture. This is his last legal challenge against the British press. It’s also his biggest, and with reputations on the line, the stakes for all sides are high. Day one, and the battlelines are being bullishly drawn. What happened on day one – recap Image: Liz Hurley arrives at the start of the case. Pic: Reuters Image: Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish in 2024. Pic: PA Harry and the other high-profile co-claimants all allege that Associated Newspapers (ANL) published stories about them using information that was illegally obtained by private investigators hacking phones, deceptively “blagging” private information and planting bugs in homes and cars. Their barrister told the court there was a culture of unlawful information gathering at ANL. That its use was “clear, systemic and sustained”. He also claimed the newspaper group knew what had been going on and knew there were “skeletons in the closet”. ANL strongly denies any …