SODP Dispatch - 13 February 2025

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Publisher Used First-Party Data To Cash-In On 4th Quarter

By Tyler Bishop

As the publishing industry undergoes a fundamental shift away from third-party data reliance, publishers are discovering the power of first-party data to reshape their business models. This article marks the final installment in our series exploring this transformation, highlighting how publishers are leveraging first-party data to regain control over audience engagement and monetization.

💡 What you will learn:

• Owning the audience

• The “thirst for first” effect

• Implementing first-party data In practice

• The power of data-driven publishing

Generative AI, Online Platforms And Compensation For Content: The Need For A New Framework

By Thomas Paris & Pierre-Jean Benghozi

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has put the issue of compensation for content producers back on the table.

Generative AI offers undeniable benefits but raises familiar fears tied to disruptive technologies. In the cultural and creative sectors, concerns are mounting over the potential replacement of human creators, the erosion of artistic authenticity and risks of copyright infringement. Legal battles are already emerging worldwide, with intellectual property owners and AI developers clashing over rights. Alongside these legal and ethical concerns lies the economic question: how should revenues generated by AI be fairly distributed?

WP Publisher Success Week: New Speakers

We're excited to announce new speakers for the WP Publisher Success Week, scheduled from February 24–28, 2025:

Day 1 (February 24):

• Raelene Morey from The Repository will co-present "The Evolution of WordPress and What’s Upcoming in 2025," offering insights into recent updates and future innovations.

Day 3 (February 26):

• Shelby Blackley of The Athletic and co-founder of "WTF is SEO?" will join the panel "Website Migration Essentials," discussing best practices for SEO retention and site speed optimization.

• Jessie Willms from The Guardian and co-founder of "WTF is SEO?" will moderate the same panel, guiding discussions on optimizing WordPress migrations.

🎤 The Repository

The Repository is a free, WordPress-focused weekly newsletter that delivers fast, reliable news updates to keep its audience informed. It gives its readers exclusive updates without any paywalls or subscription fees. See more ▸

🔍️ GSC Guardian

Stay on top of your website's health. Check for incidents in your Google Search Console data with a simple graph. GSC Guardian - Your Google Search Performance Companion. See more ▸

By Vahe Arabian

📅 Guide to must-attend events for publishers

As digital publishing continues to evolve, staying informed about industry trends, networking opportunities, and innovative technologies is critical. Attending the right events—whether online or in-person—can unlock critical insights into WordPress innovation, AI-driven workflows, sustainable monetisation and more.

Here’s a curated guide to some of the 15 most impactful gatherings for publishers this year.

1. WP Publisher Success Week (February 24–28, Online): Hosted by State of Digital Publishing, this event focuses on AI strategies and secure editorial workflows for WordPress publishers.

2. WordCamp Asia 2025 (February 20–22, Manila, Philippines): An in-person event exploring WordPress development and publishing trends across Asia.

3. CloudFest 2025 (March 17–20, Rust, Germany): A premier event on cloud hosting and WordPress integrations for digital publishing.

4. INMA South Asia Media Summit (March 12–14, Online): Dedicated to news publishing innovations across South Asia.

5. PressConf 2025 (April 23–26, Tempe, USA): A WordPress networking hub for publishers and business professionals.

6. FIPP Digital Innovators’ Summit 2025 (April 16–18, Berlin, Germany): Focused on media innovation, publishing tech, and revenue models.

7. WordCamp Europe 2025 (June 5–7, Basel, Switzerland): The flagship WordPress event for publishers and developers in Europe.

8. INMA Global Media Summit (June 18–20, Online): Highlighting media innovation and global publishing trends.

9. WordCamp US 2025 (August 26–29, Portland, USA): A leading WordPress conference for North America’s publishing community.

10. PubTech 2025 (August 18–20, Online): Dive into publishing tech advancements and AI tools.

11. INMA Media Innovation Week (September 22–26, Dublin, Ireland): Showcasing innovation in news publishing and media technologies.

12. Monetisation Strategies Week (September 15–19, Online): A guide to sustainable monetisation models for digital publishers.

13. FIPP World Media Congress 2025 (October 21–23, Madrid, Spain): A global gathering on media trends and publishing innovations.

14. DistriPress Annual Congress 2025 (October 12–15, Malta): Tackling the future of print media distribution and publishing.

15. Global WordPress Summit 2025 (October 28–30, Online): Exploring WordPress tools tailored to publishers and content creators.

These events offer incredible opportunities to network, learn, and innovate. Whether your focus is on WordPress development, AI tools, or media innovation, there’s something for everyone. Start planning your calendar now and secure your spot for the events that align with your goals.

Google News automated publication pages to start in March | Search Engine Land

Google will soon fully transition to automatically generated publication pages next month, in March. Back in April 2024, Google told us Publisher Center will soon stop allowing you to add publications and now this is the next step. This means that all publication pages in Google News will be generated automatically by Google.
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AI Chatbots Fail News Accuracy Test, BBC Study Reveals | SEJ

A new BBC study reveals that AI assistants struggle with news-related questions, often providing inaccurate or misleading information. BBC journalists reviewed answers from four AI assistants: ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity.
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Google Super Bowl LIX Search Ranking Update | Search Engine Roundtable

Over the weekend, the Super Bowl LIX weekend, there has been a lot of chatter about ranking volatility and traffic losses. Truth is, I feel there is often chatter about traffic losses over a Super Bowl weekend, as many are watching the Super Bowl and not spending time searching Google as much.
Read more ▸

BuzzFeed to launch new social media platform called BF Island | Axios

BuzzFeed is creating its own social media platform as a joyful alternative to addictive social media feeds. If the experiment works, it will put BuzzFeed "in a totally different kind of business, where it's primarily a tech company and a new kind of social media company," Peretti says.
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AI investments surged 62% to $110B in 2024 while startup funding overall declined 12% | TechCrunch

Venture capitalists are gobbling up term sheets for startups peddling artificial intelligence, but they’re remaining picky when it comes to funding the wider spectrum of technology. According to new figures from analytics firm Dealroom, AI startups raised $110 billion last year, 62% more than the year before.
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