July 31, 2026
Welcome to The L@B Report
Welcome to this month’s issue of The L@B Report from GSG, where we explore news and insights at the intersection of media, technology, and public affairs. This month, we discuss publishers pushing back on AI companies over the value of original journalism, how artificial intelligence is transforming the communications profession, and why YouTube continues to attract advertising dollars once reserved for traditional television.
This issue of The L@B Report was compiled by Ryan Alexander.
In the News
Publishers Push Back Against AI
As AI changes how people find information, publishers are questioning whether the relationship is worth it.
For decades, publishers viewed Google Search as an indispensable source of traffic. Today, that relationship is showing signs of strain.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, several major publishers and platforms — including Reuters, POLITICO, USA Today, and Reddit — are reconsidering whether they should continue allowing Google to crawl and index their content as AI-generated search results increasingly answer users’ questions without directing them to original sources.
Takeaway
The concern is economic as much as technological. AI-generated summaries can satisfy users’ information needs while dramatically reducing referral traffic to publishers’ websites, threatening advertising revenue and subscription growth. Some publishers are exploring technical and legal options to limit how their content is used to train or power AI products.
Those concerns were echoed by Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni. Galloni argues that high-quality journalism has become essential fuel for generative AI systems, yet the organizations producing that reporting often receive little compensation in return. She warns that if the business model supporting original reporting continues to erode, AI companies risk weakening the very information ecosystem they depend upon.
The conversation around AI has generally focused on how publishers should adapt to new technologies, but the real question is whether publishers can sustain quality journalism if AI platforms capture audience attention without returning meaningful traffic or revenue.
AI Is Reshaping the Future of Communications
The biggest communications challenge may no longer be adopting AI, but preparing people to work alongside it.
A recent report from LexisNexis highlights how agencies and in-house communications teams are reorganizing around AI, investing in employee training, governance policies, and new workflows rather than treating AI as a standalone experiment.
Rather than replacing communications professionals, many organizations are redefining roles to emphasize strategic thinking, editorial judgment, and responsible AI oversight.
Takeaway
The communications profession is entering a new phase of AI adoption. The competitive advantage is no longer simply having access to AI tools — it’s knowing how to use them responsibly and strategically.
As AI automates routine tasks like drafting, research, and content generation, the value of communications professionals will increasingly lie in what AI cannot easily replicate: sound judgment, strategic counsel, relationship management, and the ability to navigate complex reputational issues.
Advertising Continues Its Shift from Television to YouTube
The migration of advertising dollars reflects a broader change in where audiences are found.
Recent industry reporting from EMARKETER shows YouTube continuing to capture a growing share of digital video advertising as brands prioritize connected TV, creator-led programming, and measurable audience engagement. Once viewed primarily as a platform for user-generated videos, YouTube has evolved into one of the largest destinations for premium video consumption, competing directly with traditional television networks for both viewers and advertising revenue.
Takeaway
This trend underscores how dramatically media consumption has changed. Viewers increasingly spend time watching creators, podcasts, live streams, and independent programming on connected TV rather than scheduled broadcast or cable programming. For advertisers, these platforms offer more sophisticated audience targeting and performance measurement than traditional television.
The continued migration of advertising budgets also reinforces YouTube’s growing role as one of today’s most influential media platforms — one that shapes not only entertainment consumption but increasingly how people discover news, commentary, and public affairs content.
For organizations seeking to reach today’s audiences, success depends on understanding where attention is being spent. Communications strategies built around digital video, creators, and platform-native storytelling will continue to grow in importance as the media landscape evolves.
More from GSG
A year and a half into the second Trump administration, corporate communicators are contending with a more fragmented media landscape, accelerating AI disruption, and a political environment that continues to raise the stakes for every message that goes out the door. GSG has spent over 15 years tracking how companies communicate through exactly these kinds of moments — and our new report, Communicating in Chaos: The 2026 Playbook, puts that experience, and the latest data behind it, to work.
The report draws on new national polling and expert analysis from senior practitioners to give communicators a clear picture of where things stand and what to do about it. Our experts recommend that companies show up consistently in earned media, owned content, and niche and trade outlets to build credibility and breakthrough in ways one single top-tier hit no longer can.