June 16, 2026  |  SIGN UP

 
Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde
DIGIDAY, MANAGING EDITOR

Publishers are looking every which way for solutions to curb the bots. Some media execs (like at Reuters and Time) have established bot-blocking whitelists to rein in the crawlers. Meanwhile, AI clones have split the creator economy.

Other questions we are asking:

  • How are publishers experimenting with premium video and paywalls?
  • What’s the latest in MFA sites?
  • How are brands working with creators?

All our media news.

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Top stories

 
 

THE BUSINESS OF AI

Reuters and Time adopt bot-blocking whitelists to rein in AI crawlers

Reuters and Time adopt a ‘block-all’ AI bot strategy, part of a broader publisher move toward whitelist-only access.

THE BUSINESS OF AI

The Rundown: AI clones split the creator economy

Unauthorized AI voice clones and authorized digital twins are splitting the creator economy in half as brands, lawyers, and talent take stock. 

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PIANO

Why publishers are tracking engagement metrics as referral traffic drops

If organic search pageviews are the primary KPI, publishers are optimizing for a shrinking channel. Publishers who shift toward engagement depth, user conversion rates and subscriber lifetime value are best positioned for upcoming platform changes.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Media Briefing: Publishers put premium video behind the paywall to sell subscriptions

The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Bloomberg test putting video behind the paywall to drive and retain subscriptions.

A MESSAGE FROM VIOOH

Programmatic DOOH buyers are embracing curated and audience-driven inventory

According to VIOOH’s latest State of the Nation 2026 report, 91% of U.S. respondents say pDOOH has already been planned as part of wider digital and programmatic activity.

See how it works

 

BEYOND ADS

AI 'girlfriend ads' are fueling a new wave of MFA sites

AI-generated “girlfriend ads” are driving traffic to made-for-advertising sites filled with low-quality content and ads.

THE CREATOR ECONOMY

Brands turn to creators to build World Cup buzz amid a logistics nightmare

A US-based World Cup poses unique problems and opportunities for brands; activating creators away from the games may be the solution. 

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM SHEERID

Why loyalty data is key to lifecycle marketing

Because shoppers only want brands to know them on their own terms, brands are rethinking loyalty as a lifecycle strategy grounded in trust, transparency and a clear value exchange that evolves with the customer over time.

 

Other things to know

 
 

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM SEEDTAG

As richer contextual signals add value to inventory, agencies and publishers benefit