Guidance to members on unauthorized use of newspaper content

Dean Ridings, CEO, America's Newspapers

What AI can’t replace: Your local newspaper

Artificial intelligence is here — and it’s powerful. From recommending what to watch to helping draft messages or organizing your calendar, AI is becoming part of everyday life. Used responsibly, it can be a helpful tool. But when misused, AI can also be dangerous — especially when it misappropriates local news content without attribution, compensation or context.

Download Dean Ridings' editorial and reprint it in your newspaper.

With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, new threats are emerging for local news publishers — especially when AI tools are used to repurpose content without authorization. America’s Newspapers is actively monitoring the misuse of AI in ways that negatively affect our members.

One example is Good Day, an AI-generated newsletter network now operating in 47 states and 355 towns, according to Andrew Deck’s reporting in Nieman Lab. The platform appears to be run by Matthew Henderson under the name Good Daily, Inc.

Many of the stories featured in Good Day newsletters originate from local news outlets, but they are used without permission, with little to no attribution, and virtually no traffic referrals back to the original source. 

Because Good Day — and potentially other platforms — are republishing members’ content without proper authorization, we want to offer guidance to help you protect your rights and preserve the value of your journalism.

What you can do:

1. Update your website’s terms of service to explicitly prohibit data scraping and the use of your content for training or operating AI systems. Access a sample terms of service here.
2. Implement technology tools that block web scrapers or require login credentials/paywalls to access proprietary content.
3. Send a cease-and-desist letter to any platform using your content without permission. Access a sample cease-and-desist letter here.
4. Educate your audience. Consider running an editorial to explain how unauthorized use of local news harms your newsroom and your community.  Here is an editorial from America's Newspapers for you to run or adapt for your market.  

Unauthorized use of member content is an issue we take seriously. America’s Newspapers will continue to pursue every appropriate legal and advocacy avenue to support your rights and the sustainability of local journalism.

This guidance is offered as a resource for members only and is not intended as legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. If you have concerns, have a direct situation with Good Day, or other specific questions, please contact me directly at dridings@newspapers.org.