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- MediaMorph Edition 64 - by HANA News
MediaMorph Edition 64 - by HANA News
Cloudflare v Perplexity - why it matters
Mark Riley
August 12, 2025
In partnership with
MediaMorph Edition 64 - by HANA News
Cloudflare v Perplexity - why it matters
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The written-by-a-human bit
The Cloudflare v Perplexity dispute heated up this week with both sides trading blog posts stating their positions. Cloudflare set a trap by launching multiple new domains, sticking a “DO NOT CRAWL” sign on them and then seeing their new content appear in Perplexity results. Perplexity hit back with their own blog post Agents or Bots? arguing that “user agents” are de facto “digital assistants” running errands on our behalf, such as fetching content. Therefore, they are quasi-human and don’t need to abide by robot.txt protocols.
This matters because the winning argument will define the future of the open web - its rules, etiquette, and economics.
Up to now, every metric that matters to media companies has tracked human behaviour - how many visits, ad views, completions, sign-ups, click-throughs. I care deeply about the number of humans who read this newsletter and what they click on.
If we are to take the Perplexity argument, then a visiting user-bot has some value, much like an intern being tasked to do research for the CEO has value.
But this argument falls down if the bot is jumping over paywalls, paying no attention to ads, and shoving proprietary content into a blender without permission or a thank you.
The problem is that people quite like the Perplexity smoothie that comes out of the Perplexity blender.
Which brings us back to companies like TollBit and Prorata, who are trying to figure out how to micro-charge user bots every time they raid the fridge.
This will need to be figured out, as the AI companies are well aware - they can’t kill off the content creators who power their answer engines.
Meanwhile, media companies will need to keep selling their original, nutritious smorgasbord of content directly to loyal subscribers who need their meat and five a day.
Mark Riley, CEO, Mathison AI
Hi
At Mathison AI we are firm advocates for media companies building their own subsciber facing chatbots for deeper engagement.
The FT, Aftonbladet, Forbes, The Washington Post and Rappler are all leading the way.
We understand the need for training, guardrails, RAG, and guidelines. We build smart AI that has inbuilt humility to admit when it doesn’t know the answer.
Speak to us today about testing your archive in a safe enviroment.
AI and Journalism
Echoes & Algorithms: How Grassroots Journalism Can Be a Disturber of AI — Weave News Weave News - August 4, 2025 Grassroots journalism faces significant challenges from AI, which risks homogenising diverse voices and reinforcing existing power structures. By critically engaging with AI and prioritising authenticity over efficiency, journalists can reclaim their narratives and ensure that underrepresented stories are amplified rather than erased. |
Some people are defending Perplexity after Cloudflare ‘named and shamed’ it TechCrunch - August 5, 2025 Cloudflare has accused AI search engine Perplexity of unethical web scraping practices, despite site owners' attempts to block such activity, igniting a debate on whether AI agents should be treated like human users or bots. While some defend Perplexity's actions as legitimate user access, concerns grow over the impact on content creators and the ethical implications of aggregating information without directing traffic to original sources. |
Cloudflare vs Perplexity: The Battle Over AI Web Scraping Heats Up The recent clash between Cloudflare and Perplexity underscores the ethical dilemmas of AI scraping web content, as publishers push for stricter regulations to protect their proprietary material. In response, content creators are rethinking monetization strategies, exploring stronger paywalls and potential collaborations with AI firms to ensure fair compensation. |
How sports journalists are using AI, while preserving accuracy and storytelling Cleveland - August 7, 2025 At the NABJ conference, sports journalists, including ESPN's Mark Spears, discussed AI's role in journalism, emphasizing its potential to enhance efficiency while underscoring the irreplaceable human touch in storytelling. The panelists highlighted the importance of verification and cautioned against over-reliance on AI, advocating for it to be seen as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human expertise. |
AI-powered reach. Mission-driven journalism: how to grow your audience without losing your purpose Editor and Publisher - August 7, 2025 Join us for an exclusive look at how The Seattle Medium, a legacy Black-owned newsroom, has successfully expanded its digital presence while staying true to its core values. Discover how they harnessed assistive AI tools from NOTA to enhance their journalism, streamline workflows and better serve their community. |
Change-Centric Journalism: reframing the value of news in the AI age Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism - August 5, 2025 Explore the transformative potential of Change-Centric Journalism, an innovative approach that prioritizes intentionality and community engagement over mere content production, fostering trust and social impact in newsrooms. This model draws on rich traditions from the Global South to revitalize public discourse and strengthen democracy through meaningful connections and care-based reporting. Read more at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (7 mins) |
AI continues to weave its spell
How Newsrooms Are Using AI Chatbots to Leverage Their Own Reporting — and Build Trust Global Investigative Journalism Network Internal newsroom AI chatbots like Rappler's Rai and The Financial Times' Ask FT are designed to deliver reliable, vetted information while enhancing reader engagement. But they face challenges such as limited databases and potential inaccuracies. These innovative tools aim to combat disinformation and foster trust in journalism by utilising proprietary archives and encouraging user feedback on errors. |
Sharon Moshavi on Journalism, Disinformation and Why Facts Still Matter International Center for Journalists - Sharon Moshavi, president of the International Center for Journalists, discusses the dual role of AI in journalism on the Ink and Insights podcast, highlighting its potential to enhance workflows while also posing challenges like disinformation. She encourages young journalists to embrace experimentation and focus on building expertise in specific areas to navigate the evolving media landscape effectively. |
Opinion | Don’t blame AI for Jim Acosta’s high-profile interview flop Poynter - This story delves into the challenges faced by independent journalists, who often grapple with the temptation to resort to sensationalism in a bid for relevance in a crowded digital landscape. It underscores the critical need for maintaining journalistic integrity and responsible reporting amidst the pressures of clickbait culture. |
SOS: Who will throw fact-checked reporting a life raft? AI is transforming journalism by analyzing data to uncover insights and streamline tasks, enabling journalists to focus on in-depth storytelling. However, this integration raises ethical concerns about accuracy, bias, and the potential impact on jobs, highlighting the need for a careful balance between leveraging technology and preserving journalistic integrity. |
Africa Bias Buster: The AI tool helping journalists rewrite the narrative on Africa International Journalists' Network - In response to enduring stereotypes about Africa, the Africa Bias Buster – a collaborative AI tool from Africa No Filter and The AI Shop – aims to help writers create more nuanced narratives by addressing biases in storytelling. Despite its promise, privacy concerns and a need for localized data remain challenges as journalists across the continent increasingly turn to AI for support. |
He looks perplexed. POTUS is not alone
Trump Media Is Testing an AI Search Engine Powered by Perplexity CNET - August 7, 2025 Trump Media is beta-testing an AI search feature called Truth Search on its Truth Social platform, aiming to provide conversational summaries instead of traditional links, raising concerns about political bias. The feature, developed with startup Perplexity, is under scrutiny for potentially favoring conservative sources, while Perplexity itself is facing legal challenges from the BBC over content use. |
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AI and Academic Publishing
AI-Driven Social Media Tools: Reshaping Scholarly Publishing and Investor Confidence in Tech-Enabled Media Platforms Ainvest - August 8, 2025 AI is revolutionizing scholarly publishing by automating content curation and enhancing trust metrics, with tools like xFakeSci ensuring accuracy against misinformation. As the sector grows, fostering ethical practices and transparency will be essential for building credibility and driving sustainable engagement in academic communities. |
Revised code released to boost trust in scholarly publishing South Africa's scholarly publishing sector has unveiled a revised Code of Best Practice for 2025, addressing critical issues like unethical practices and the rise of AI in research. This comprehensive update aims to enhance ethical standards and maintain publishing integrity, with wide support from academic stakeholders who view it as a vital step toward restoring public trust in scholarly work. |
Mitja-Alexander Linss is Head of Marketing at Karger Publishers
Reimagining peer review: a case for innovation Research Information - August 8, 2025 The academic publishing landscape is rapidly evolving due to technological advancements and the integration of AI, which promises to enhance the peer review process while raising ethical concerns about transparency and accountability. Innovations such as the Vesalius Innovation Award are supporting startups that develop tools to combat research misconduct and streamline reviewer selection, ensuring the integrity and efficiency of scholarly publishing. |
Scientific publications that use promotional language in the abstract receive more citations and public attention Nature - August 5, 2025 A recent study analyzing over 130,000 abstracts from major journals reveals that the use of promotional language in academic publications has increased significantly, enhancing visibility and citations but exacerbating gender disparities in recognition. While this language can attract public attention, it may not equally benefit female authors, highlighting ongoing challenges in self-promotion and perceptions of competence within academia. |
Emerald Publishing to safeguard research integrity with Dimensions Author Check Emerald Publishing has adopted Dimensions Author Check to enhance research integrity in their publishing processes, enabling efficient verification of authors' academic credentials and publication histories. This tool, developed by Digital Science, promotes trust and transparency while supporting special issue proposals and editor succession planning. |
More scientific papers being written with help of ChatGPT –especially in computer science Phys - Since their launch in November 2022, large language models (LLMs) have revolutionized industries like customer service, education, and content creation by boosting efficiency and creativity. However, their rapid adoption also prompts critical discussions around misinformation, ethical considerations, and potential job displacement. |
Harnessing AI to advance translational research and impact HEPI - August 6, 2025 In a recent roundtable dinner hosted by HEPI and Taylor & Francis, academic leaders explored the transformative potential of AI in translational research while addressing concerns about creativity, bias, and accountability. The discussion underscored the need for collaboration, ethical responsibility, and new regulatory frameworks to ensure AI enhances rather than replaces human effort in scientific inquiry. |
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