The announcement was made at the 77th World News Media Congress in Marseille, where SPUR welcomed 30 new members, bringing the coalition to 36 publishers and affiliate organizations. It marks the coalition’s most significant expansion since its public launch at the end of February and signals a coordinated global effort by publishers to take control of how AI systems interact with their journalism.
Ringier joins as a standard member, working alongside SPUR’s founding members (the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian Media Group, Sky News, Telegraph Media Group, and Mediahuis) to advance the coalition’s technical, strategic, and engagement priorities.
Central to this work is SPUR’s telemetry standard (usage tracking): a technical infrastructure designed to let publishers monitor, in real time, how AI systems use their content and to ensure that use is transparent and fairly compensated. SPUR expects to launch the standard soon.
A unified approach across all markets
Ladina Heimgartner, Head Media at Ringier AG and CEO Ringier Medien Schweiz: «For our nearly 100 Media brands in 11 countries, quality journalism relies on the integrity of our intellectual property. By ensuring all Ringier Media companies are part of the SPUR Coalition, we are securing a seat at the table to co-create the technical standards of tomorrow. This allows our local editorial teams to leverage the benefits of AI innovations while firmly protecting our content and ensuring that its use by third-party platforms remains transparent and fairly monetized.»
Michael Moersch, CEO Ringier Media International: «AI knows no borders, and neither should our framework for protecting digital journalism. Bringing all of Ringier’s international media brands into the SPUR Coalition allows us to implement a coordinated, global standard across all our markets. This collective strength ensures that whether a piece of journalism is published in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, or beyond, it is protected by the same robust telemetry standard as the world’s leading media houses.»
Ringier joins the coalition alongside a global cohort of new founding, affiliate, standard, and associate organizations, all dedicated to establishing fair terms for the media sector.
SPUR Coalition FAQ (contact: [email protected])
What is SPUR?
SPUR is an industry coalition initiated by organisations that invest in the creation of original journalism. Its aims are to shape the technical and operating environment within which IP owners can control and monitor the use of their content by generative AI applications. SPUR will work to ensure that media owners can exercise their rights and if they choose to license, ensure the transparent flow of data that will allow them to secure a fair exchange of value for use of their work across the generative AI value chain.
Who is involved?
The founding partners are the BBC, Financial Times, Sky News, Guardian Media Group, Telegraph Media Group and Mediahuis. This group – alongside the group of wider members – will grow as the project progresses. We invite interested news organisations to get in touch.
Why are you doing this?
Professionally-produced journalism is currently being taken from the open internet without permission or payment, to train, fine-tune and ground generative AI models in real time. We recognise that better solutions are needed to manage this activity, protect the economic foundation of journalism and improve the transparency of AI output. SPUR aims to help shape technical and commercial infrastructure in ways that deliver and support efficient marketplaces where content can be licensed on fair commercial terms.
What are the benefits of membership?
Members of the SPUR coalition will have the opportunity to work together to shape the future of how the media sector interacts with AI technology. Influencing the landscape of standards and licensing practices requires a global effort – one which members will be at the forefront of leading.
Members of SPUR will also benefit from a range of coalition outputs. This includes regular intelligence and sector-relevant briefings, participation in technical and other working groups and convening opportunities with other members. Alongside this, SPUR is working on a telemetry tool which can analyse how publisher content performs at the different stages of AI use. Members will be able to adopt and help shape future iterations of this technology.
Who can become a member – and what is the process?
We have a range of membership options – organisations producing original journalism can apply to join under our standard membership framework. Publishers looking for stronger influence in steering the work of the coalition may apply as a founding member, alongside the existing founder group. Organisations that represent news publishers, including trade bodies, can apply for affiliate membership. Smaller new organisations, or those who want to show support without a full commitment, can join as an associate member for a nominal fee.
Is SPUR exclusive or can members deal directly with AI companies?
SPUR is not a collective licensing organisation. Its focus is developing recommended standards and defining best practice. Founders and members will retain full autonomy over their own commercial relationships.
How is it funded?
The coalition has been 100% funded by the initial founders. Membership fees will provide additional funding in future. SPUR is a non-profit project funded by members.
Are you in the process of adding more publishers to your coalition? How many and
from which countries/regions?
Yes – the coalition has received significant interest from all over the world. We will announce more in the coming weeks.
Is there a timeline for SPUR’s goals?
We will move at pace. The project will announce key milestones and further membership news in phases over the coming months.