The owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, including the Pensacola News Journal, announced it will shutter its product review site, Reviewed, effective Nov. 1.
- Gannett created the website for its journalists and other hired contributors to make recommendations on various consumer products, but the newspaper giant has been criticized on whether the reviews are written by humans.
Last October, the New York Times and Poytner published articles questioning whether some of the reviews were AI-generated.
The NY Times reported that Reviewed writers and editors looked up the names of some review authors and struggled to find proof — such as a LinkedIn account — that the people existed. They also questioned the quality of the articles.
- Gannett denied any A.I. was used. About 40 people at Reviewed said yes, according to NYT.
Poytner was more specific. The writers’ union posted questionable articles.
- The reviews were of products that Reviewed didn’t not typically cover, like dietary supplements, according to the Reviewed Union.
- The posts, which were part of a new shopping page, did not have bylines, and union members decried the work as an attempt to replace their labor. Four days after the union posted the reviews, the page was gone.
Reviewed then republished the stories in the afternoon with a disclaimer that they had not been written by staff before taking the page down again.
Dig Deeper: The Verve has more reporting on the recent announcement.
The site explained why Gannett started Reviewed: “Product reviews are often seen as a lucrative venture for publishers, who can draw readers looking for purchasing advice on search engines and make money when readers buy items from the articles.”
Gannett’s reason for shutting down Reviewed:
“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told The Verge in an email.
