The Independent vs TIME

The Independent's social commerce revenue surpasses SEO

The Independent's social-commerce revenue surpassed its SEO-based revenue for the first time in September, indicating a shift toward social platforms and away from search traffic, which has declined partly due to AI. CEO Christian Broughton declared the old search-and-social model 'dead' and outlined four growth areas: AI, creator-led studio work, e-commerce, and membership, expected to contribute nearly half of 2026 revenue. The company reported £55.1 million in 2025 revenue, up 4%, with profit before tax rising 9% to £3.5 million. Broughton also highlighted AI productivity gains, including the 'Bulletin' news app with 12 million monthly users, the 'Eva' AI feature that reduced bounce rate, and a live news team six times more productive. Meanwhile, Meta's upcoming terms update on October 30 extends AI training scraping rights to all linked websites, criticized as a data grab that may override robots.txt and bypass licensing. In parallel, e-commerce platforms are navigating AI agent integration, with Amazon blocking third-party agents while Walmart and Target partner with OpenAI, and Zillow licensing data to Google for Gemini.

• The Independent's social-commerce revenue surpassed SEO-based revenue for the first time in September.
• CEO Christian Broughton declared the old search-and-social business model 'dead'.
• Meta will extend scraping rights to all websites linked on its platforms starting October 30.

Zelensky calls on Trump to act after Russia violates energy ceasefire

The Independent's news section has been updated with new top stories including Ukraine-Russia conflict, a school stabbing in Poland, NHS prescription changes, and other current events.

Taboola: Tesco Clubcard Readership Surges 1,876%

Taboola's Newsroom data shows UK readership of Tesco Clubcard articles rose 1,876% in the most recent 30-day period versus the prior 30 days, generating more than 335,000 page views across Taboola's UK publisher network (up from ~17,000). The surge is attributed primarily to the impending expiry of £11 million in Clubcard vouchers, which publishers warned would become invalid after 11:59pm on 31 August. Additional drivers cited include the return of Clubcard Challenges, Tesco’s "Know What You’re Sitting On" campaign and promotional activity such as the OVO Clubcard Millionaire prize draw. Taboola communications lead Dave Struzzi commented on publishers' role and the attention the Clubcard brand is generating for Tesco.

• UK readership of Tesco Clubcard articles increased by 1,876% over the last 30 days versus the preceding 30 days.
• Taboola’s Newsroom recorded more than 335,000 page views for Clubcard-related articles across its UK publisher network, up from approximately 17,000 in the previous 30 days.
• The surge was driven by the approaching expiry of £11 million worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, which were reported to become invalid after 11:59pm on 31 August.

AI Chatbot Shares Fragment Beyond ChatGPT, Comscore Data Shows

Comscore's Q2 2026 AI Intelligence Report reveals that AI chatbot usage is diversifying, with ChatGPT's share of prompts dropping from 70% to 50% between January and June 2026, while Gemini's share nearly doubled to 30% and Claude grew to 11%. Overall usage is expanding, with 35% of desktop and 29% of mobile users visiting an AI assistant in June 2026. Google AI Overviews are also more prevalent, appearing in 39.4% of desktop searches, up from 25.8% a year earlier. For publishers and marketers, this fragmentation necessitates multi-platform GEO strategies that track visibility and citations across various assistants. The report emphasizes that being sourced doesn't guarantee visibility, as Tripadvisor is sourced for 61% of travel queries but cited only 21%.

• ChatGPT's share of prompt volume fell from 70% to 50% between January and June 2026.
• Gemini's share nearly doubled from 17% to 30%, and Claude climbed from 2% to 11% in the same period.
• Google desktop searches with AI Overviews grew from 25.8% in July 2025 to 39.4% in June 2026.

Axios launches AI content feeds, revenue exceeds 2026 goal

Axios has achieved its 2026 revenue goal ahead of schedule and is introducing Axios Direct, a new product offering content feeds for AI models and agents, targeting three customer segments. The first feed, aimed at investment firms, will provide AI-era updates of Bloomberg terminals and RSS feeds. The second feed will enable companies with internal AI models to ingest Axios content directly, and the third will allow individual subscribers to access feeds via personal AI agents. Axios CRO Jacquelyn Cameron announced the plans at the Digiday Publishing Summit, noting two-year deals for the first feed and potential future participation in AI content marketplaces.

• Axios achieved its 2026 revenue goal in September 2026, ahead of the previous year's end-of-October.
• Axios will launch Axios Direct, a product providing content feeds for AI models and agents, targeting three customer types.
• The first Axios Direct feed is designed for investment firms and will be sold on an annual fee basis, with two-year initial deals.

AltaMed CEO Cástulo de la Rocha Named to TIME's 2026 Latino Leaders List

TIME magazine has named Cástulo de la Rocha, president and CEO of AltaMed Health Services, to its 2026 Latino Leaders list, which recognizes 13 U.S.-based trailblazers transforming their industries and communities. The recognition highlights de la Rocha's nearly five decades of leadership at AltaMed, a community health organization founded in 1969 as the East Los Angeles Barrio Free Clinic. Under his guidance, AltaMed has grown into one of the largest community health organizations in the nation, providing culturally competent healthcare and services to communities throughout Southern California. The full list and tributes appear in the September 28, 2026 issue of TIME.

• Cástulo de la Rocha, president and CEO of AltaMed Health Services, was named to TIME's 2026 Latino Leaders list.
• The list recognizes 13 U.S.-based trailblazers transforming their sectors and communities.
• AltaMed was founded in 1969 as the East Los Angeles Barrio Free Clinic.