A global coalition of publishers, SPUR (Standards for Publisher Usage Rights), is expanding with thirty new members to establish international standards for AI usage of publisher content and create scalable licensing pathways.

At WAN-IFRA meetings, leaders call for a new deal featuring fair value sharing, content protection, and sustainable licensing, with high-level advocacy directed at Macron for Evian discussions.

Stig Ørskov, WAN-IFRA CEO, stresses the need for collective publisher action to shape a fair AI licensing market and influence standards for the AI era.

Publishers fear AI could erode journalism business models and push for higher content protection and independent journalism standards.

Founding members include The Guardian, Financial Times, Telegraph, BBC, Sky News, with CMA Media (France) joining as a founding member in the expansion.

Industry leaders warn tech platforms may “strip-mine” news sites for training data without permission or compensation, stressing the need for sustainable newsroom economics amid AI.

Leaders emphasize protecting journalistic integrity and establishing fair licensing models as AI trains on news content, sometimes without permission.

WAN-IFRA and industry voices plan to push policymakers, including the French president, to address publishers’ concerns at international forums such as the G7 in Evian.

Jean-Christophe Tortora of CMA Media urged action from policymakers and the G7 to address publishers’ concerns ahead of Evian and related meetings.

The World News Media Congress, co-organized by WAN-IFRA and CMA Media, underscored a concerted, international publisher effort in reply to the AI revolution.

The expansion at the congress signals momentum and collaboration in publisher-led AI governance.

New York Times publisher Arthur Gregg Sulzberger calls for a stronger, coordinated industry response to AI-driven abuses.