As AI reshapes how audiences find news, republishing and syndication deals are under fresh scrutiny. We look at the SEO risks, the licensing marketplaces stepping in, and why experts warn that borrowed content is no substitute for knowing your own audience
Many news websites republish other people's content, either via syndication platforms, Creative Commons licences, our own content sharing hubs, or informal agreements with other editors.
But how effective is this, given the changes in digital distribution and the rise of generative AI, and the ever-greater need to make our content more relevant and personalised for our audiences?
Jacob Granger
This is a common argument against republishing. Canonical tags are designed to solve this very concern. They are a small piece of HTML code placed in a webpage's header that tells search engines which URL is the main, preferred version of a page.
Syndication partners will often ask for this attribution, and it is effectively asking Google to rank someone else's content higher. Depending on which side of the table you're sitting, you may want to negotiate for or against this.
