October 30, 2025
Welcome to the L@B Report
Welcome to this month’s issue of The L@B Report from GSG, bringing you news and insights from the intersection of digital media and public affairs. In this issue, we explore YouTube’s continued dominance, Wikipedia’s warning about AI, and the disappearance of local newspapers across America.
This issue of The L@B Report was compiled by Ryan Alexander.
In the News
YouTube is Dominating Both Streaming and Traditional Television
Streaming’s king becomes television’s empire
A new Hollywood Reporter analysis shows that YouTube has done more than just disrupt television — it’s now defining it. Once dismissed as a hub for cat videos and creators in their basements, YouTube has become the dominant player in the TV space, with viewing time surpassing every traditional broadcaster and streamer combined.
Takeaway
From live sports and late-night comedy to political talk shows, much of what used to live on cable now lives — and thrives — on YouTube. The platform’s ad revenue, audience share, and creator economy have blurred the lines between “TV” and “streaming,” transforming how Americans of every generation consume video content.
At GSG, we’ve been tracking the rise of YouTube and the establishment of a new media order over the past year (see here and here). Paid and earned media strategies should increasingly view YouTube not as a digital complement to TV — but as television itself.
Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Massive Decline in Human Visitors
When the internet’s encyclopedia loses its readers, what happens to trust?
According to a report from 404 Media, Wikipedia is warning that artificial intelligence tools are siphoning off its audience — and threatening the future of the open web. The Wikimedia Foundation revealed that visits to the site have declined sharply in 2025, largely due to people getting answers directly from AI assistants that summarize Wikipedia entries instead of linking to them.
Takeaway
This shift has serious implications. Fewer human visitors mean fewer editors — and fewer people maintaining the quality and accuracy of one of the internet’s most trusted sources.
Wikipedia’s challenge is the broader internet’s challenge: when AI becomes the middleman between people and information, transparency and verification may suffer. Communicators should prepare for a world where audiences see summaries, not sources — and where maintaining credibility will mean meeting audiences inside AI platforms, not just on traditional websites.
This likely also means an investment in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) in addition to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as Wikipedia entries on topics continue to get pushed down in search results. SEO optimizes content for traditional search engine results, aiming for clicks, while GEO optimizes content for AI-driven search engines by making it easier for AI to quote and cite your content in its generated answers.
Local Newspapers Are Disappearing
Large portions of the country no longer have dedicated local reporting
A new Axios analysis highlights the alarming pace at which independent newspapers are vanishing. Across the country, local papers are shuttering faster than at any point in modern history — a trend that accelerated in 2025 as ad dollars flowed to tech platforms and hedge funds bought out remaining publishers.
Even established regional dailies are consolidating or cutting staff, leaving large portions of the country without dedicated local reporting. The loss isn’t just economic; communities without local journalism see lower voter turnout, less civic engagement, and higher levels of polarization.
Takeaway
The collapse of local news creates both risk and opportunity for communicators. With fewer traditional gatekeepers, the information environment is more fragmented — and more dependent on trusted messengers within communities. Reaching audiences now means investing in local partnerships, influencers, and alternative media outlets that people are consuming in greater numbers.
More from GSG
Earlier this year, GSG released our first report on media consumption, which explored how Americans are changing the way they get information. Now, we’ve expanded that work with new survey research, which takes a closer look at the divide between active news consumers—those who seek information—and passive ones, who mostly encounter it through algorithms and scrolling.
Read Media Consumption Trends 2025: Engaging Passive News Consumers for clear, data-backed insights into how to engage the increasingly passive public: from crafting messages that feel authentic, to aligning with the platforms, tones, and credibility signals audiences already trust.