AND THE AWARDS GO TO...
80th Silurians Press Club "Excellence in Journalism Awards" Honor Local Reporting On Crime, Sex Trafficking, Migrants, Brain Surgery and More
The 80th Silurians Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards was celebrated with a festive dinner on June 18 at the historic National Arts Club in New York City, honoring outstanding work across 16 categories spanning print, broadcast, and online journalism. The event showcased the enduring strength and diversity of New York-area journalism. Dominating the evening were The New York Times, Newsday, and The Record (NorthJersey.com), which collectively earned the majority of Medallions and Merit awards. Yet, the spotlight was also shared by powerhouse teams at Bloomberg News, ProPublica, and NBC’s I-Team, all of whom took home top honors. Notably, smaller but influential newsrooms such as NJ.com, THE CITY, and STAT News also earned Medallions, affirming the vital role of local and specialized journalism.
News Media News
AI-powered search tools threaten the survival of the online news industry
With AI-powered tools now summarising articles directly within search results, users are less inclined to visit the original news sources, threatening both advertising revenue and subscription-based models that publishers rely on for survival.
Amazon to Pay New York Times at Least $20 Million a Year in AI Deal
Terms of the multiyear deal, which haven’t previously been disclosed, offer a window into how publishers and AI companies are valuing news content in midst of seismic changes in how consumers seek information online. The annual payment amounts to nearly 1% of the Times’s 2024 revenue.
Trump Says He’s ‘Getting Rid of Woke’ and Dismisses Copyright Concerns in AI Policy Speech
“You can't be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you've read or studied, you're supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “We appreciate that, but just can't do it— because it's not doable.”
Axel Springer CEO: “Digital is the new print. AI is the new digital.”
Speaking to more than 100 world-wide executives, Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner warned, "Dependence on search and Social is a weakness. Owning the audience is a strength.”
Texas Tribune survey: What are your current views on AI in journalism?
Artificial intelligence develops at a rapid pace. "We’re interested in how your trust, expectations and understanding of AI have — or haven’t — evolved, and what questions you still have."
The AI scraping fight that could change the future of the web
Publishers are increasing efforts to protect websites from tech companies scraping content for AI tools. Media companies are suing, creating licensing deals, and trying to block AI crawlers to protect their content.
from the June 2025 Silurian News, Page 6
Gossip to Gospel: When Is It News?
Should gossip columnists have to apologize to the journalism community—and to the public—for their craft (and their livelihood)? Here, one veteran of that niche explains why justification is not necessary, and contrasts her craft with today’s rancorous world of social media.—The Editors
By Karen Feld
Gossip is fun when not malicious. It’s always been part of American culture, but more acceptable today than ever before.
People magazine took it mainstream, and Donald Trump has taken it beyond where most ever imagined. When I started out it was a predominantly feminine trade, relegated to the back sections of papers, considered “unserious.”
However, in politics, then as now, much of what originates as “gossip” quickly graduates to “gospel” seen on front pages around the world. The lines between public and private life have always been complicated, but in today’s climate, they’re almost nonexistent.
