Our Scans · (ZY.4.18) Media Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] As big media brands such as Schibsted in the Nordics, the Daily Mail and the Independent in the UK, and the Washington Post and many others in the US set up their own 'creator labs', the dividing line between conventional and alternative news media will only become more blurred. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
• [New] The European Commission's AI Office convened a new round of working group meetings to advance the forthcoming Code of Practice on the Marking and Labelling of AI-Generated Content, which will establish technical benchmarks for identifying synthetic media under the EU AI Act. EU DisinfoLab
• [New] Traditional media will continue to trend downward, even being surpassed by online advertising by 2028. Ignite Visibility
• [New] AI reported Bitdefender's 2026 Global Scam Intelligence findings, warning that online scams now operate across social media, messaging apps, SMS, advertising and calls with business-like budgets. Digital Forensics Magazine
• [New] There are steps that the UK government could be taking now - from banning the use of social media for children and using Ofcom's powers to force social media firms to act. The Guardian
• [New] The 2040 climate target communication impact assessment showed an expected need to capture 280 million tonnes of CO2 annually, by 2040. European Parliament
• [New] Social media ad spending is projected to reach $317.33 billion in 2026. demandsage
• [New] Recent whitepapers from the Center for Internet Security highlight three interconnected risk areas that demand attention from public safety, emergency management, and security professionals: evolving UAS threats, drone-enabled cyber risks, and deepfakes and synthetic media. DRONERESPONDERS
• [New] Spain said it will continue advancing regulations targeting social media platforms and high-risk artificial intelligence systems despite lobbying pressure from technology companies. The AI Policy Newsletter
• [New] The sprawling SpaceX business will be split into three parts: the rocket-launching unit; the Starlink satellite broadband arm; and the AI company that includes X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The Guardian
• [New] Media, and technology trends and predictions 2026' report for the Reuters Institute, publishers expect traffic from search engines to decline by 43% over the next three years. Vuelio -
• [New] The global entertainment and media industry reached US$ 3 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 3.5 trillion by 2029, growth driven substantially by digital content consumption across emerging markets. MarketForces Africa
• [New] Negative sentiment diverges more sharply where Chinese media frames challenges mainly around technological hurdles, ethical risks, and implementation concerns, often without undermining the broader national narrative. SAGE Journals
• [New] Chinese media expressed significantly more positive sentiment and fewer negative sentiments than expected, whereas Western media expressed significantly more negative sentiment and fewer positive sentiments than expected. SAGE Journals
• [New] The Lai administration is prioritizing countering PRC social media influence operations and cognitive warfare to reduce the threat posed by PRC disinformation campaigns. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The global reach of social media means that even localized incidents (e.g. handset privacy concerns, app vulnerabilities) can snowball into PR crises. Risk Intelligence Service
• [New] Social media health influencers and TikTok doctors generate high engagement but low clinical credibility, creating positioning risks for healthcare organizations. TopDoctor Magazine
• [New] In 2026, the bigger opportunity is structural: reducing the number of tools your team needs in the first place by consolidating communication, work management, knowledge, and AI automation into a single secure workspace. BridgeApp
• Using social media influencers on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube and Twitch with existing large platforms and follower bases could help amplify messages. Centre for European Reform
• Tools such as HealthMap utilize AI to scan social media and health data sources for early warnings of disease outbreaks, while natural language processing algorithms analyze emergency calls and incident reports to detect emerging threats. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 18 June 2026