Arc XP Introduces Ask The News for Publishers
Washington, D.C. — July 13, 2026 — Every day, many readers who used to visit news websites now turn to AI tools like ChatGPT for their information. Unfortunately, publishers aren’t benefiting from this shift; they’re losing out on site visits, data collection, and revenue. In response, Arc XP, the media platform created by The Washington Post, has launched a new tool called Ask The News.
Recent findings highlight the urgency for publishers to adapt. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, only 4% of users of AI chatbots frequently click through to original news sources, whereas 19% do so from traditional search engines. As readers increasingly rely on AI for their questions, referral traffic to publishers is declining.
Ask The News offers a way for publishers to regain that audience engagement. This AI-powered tool can be embedded directly onto a publisher’s website. When readers have questions, Ask The News uses the publisher’s own articles to provide answers, ensuring attribution and maintaining editorial standards. Publishers retain control over the data generated from these interactions, allowing them to capitalize on every opportunity.
Joey Marburger, Vice President of Content Intelligence at Arc XP, noted the challenge the industry faces: “For years, we’ve been concerned about Google and social media. Now there’s a new challenge as readers start to choose AI over visiting news sites. Ask The News puts publishers back in the loop.”
Traditionally, articles have been the main format of digital news engagement. Ask The News adds a new dimension centered around readers’ questions. Instead of forcing readers to sift through headlines or leave the site, it surfaces relevant queries, allows follow-up questions, and pulls answers from the publisher’s own content. The system is designed to decline questions if it doesn’t have enough information, setting it apart from other AI tools.
Martin Kautz, Head of Media Technologies at RND – RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, emphasized the tool’s potential: “Ask The News offers a more user-friendly way for audiences to engage with our journalism while helping us maintain control over our reader relationships.”
The new tool has three main features:
- Conversational Embeds allow publishers to integrate Ask The News across their sites and apps, suggesting relevant questions in natural language.
- Subscription Gateway offers answers rather than articles, prompting readers to subscribe after they have already found value from the information.
- Contextual Advertising uses real-time question and answer classification to enhance ad targeting, preserving audience data.
“Asking a question should lead readers to their trusted news source, not just any internet answer,” Marburger added.
Ask The News is now available for publishers using Arc XP, and non-Arc XP publishers can access it through a JavaScript embed. Future plans include expanding the platform with personalized updates, saved conversations, and more insights into reader interests.
About Arc XP
Arc XP is a powerful content platform developed to help media organizations grow and innovate. Trusted by leading news outlets worldwide, Arc XP enables publishers to engage their audience effectively and increase revenue. The platform supports over 3,000 websites globally, generating billions of pageviews each month.
