AI and the Enshitification of the Media

What's gone wrong with the media? We've seen decades of decline and collapse as business models make millions for shareholders based on recurring cuts and downgraded quality.

Content suffers as quality journalism is replaced by churnalism and clickbait. And we are now increasingly seeing AI content threatening to replace the work of human journalists.

The NUJ London digital media branch has organised an evening of discussion about the problems facing the media and journalism, led by Cory Doctorow.

Cory will discuss the issues in his recent non-fiction books:

  • The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life after AI (June 2026): A provocative guide to what's good, bad, and (profoundly) stupid about AI.
  • Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It (Oct 2025): How misogyny, conspiratorialism, surveillance, manipulation, fraud and AI slop are drowning the internet.

Cory will also be joined by journalists who have been victims of the decaying media, recently made redundant as their skills are no longer required by the business to discuss what's gone wrong.

Tickets:

  • £5 NUJ student member (with discount code: STUDENT50)
  • £10 NUJ member
  • £10 non-member student (with discount code: STUDENT50)
  • £15 members of other unions (with discount code: OTHER5)
  • £20 not in a union (join the NUJ within a month and get half your money back - talk to NUJ team at event)

Cory Doctorow biography:

Black and white portrait of Cory Doctorow

© Jonathan Worth: http://jonathanworth.com

Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of dozens of books, most recently The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life after AI; and the novel Picks and Shovels. His work often touches on issues of state surveillance and oppression, as well as organised opposition to over-reach including trade unions.

He is a special advisor to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties. Born in Toronto, Canada, he lives in Los Angeles and London.

Return to listing