News Corp reported on Thursday an annual financial statement revealing a slight fall in the number of digital subscribers in its Australian division. This drop of 4,000 subscribers, from 1.166 million to 1.162 million over the past financial year, offset recent gains the conglomerate had made in that segment. The data on the shrinking subscriber base is based on internal company data, which was published in the annual report.
Although the Australian market showed signs of stagnation, the other financial results of the Rupert Murdock-backed News Corp were assessed as robust. News Corp Australia, a key division within the structure, encompasses significant media outlets such as the daily newspapers The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun. These media outlets form the foundation of the company's media influence in the Australian market, where it faces new challenges in retaining readers.
In the context of broader industry trends, the chief executive of News Corp, Robert Thomson, expressed a strongly negative stance towards artificial intelligence. Thomson sharply criticised companies involved in AI technology, describing them as 'rogue crypto-enthusiasts'. He stated that these companies possess 'stolen goods', alluding to the use of copyrighted material without permission.
Thompson further clarified his position by describing the AI content as 'a slimy mass of garbage'. The company thus clearly distanced itself from such generated content, characterising it as 'slimy'. These statements reflect the growing tensions between traditional media houses and technology giants that utilise their content for training algorithms, placing News Corp in a defensive stance towards new technologies.
