Sussex crime news query ChatGPT Research has shown that popular AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini often ignore local publishers, even on queries about local issues such as council decisions and crime. The research by AI search visibility specialists Searchable found that ChatGPT cites national newspapers (18.8%) almost as much as local ones (21.2%), even on a local query. ChatGPT also tends to prioritise online updates direct from local councils, as opposed to reporting on them – going to council or government sources for 81.3% of questions, and local news sources for just 0.9%. Out of the top 20 news sources cited by ChatGPT for local queries, for example, there is only one local news title, Wales Online, which is in 18th place ranking behind multiple national titles, Wikipedia and Facebook. Up to 10% of news-related prompting is for local news issues, the research found. The research comes as Ofcom’s latest 2026 News Report revealed that one in five people in the UK now use AI apps as a source of news, with AI use for news most prevalent among 25 to 34-year-olds (37%). The Searchable researchers used 30,000 prompts, asking 20 unique questions about 100 UK towns and cities to five different AI assistants: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, along with Google’s AI Mode search, and AI Overviews (which appear at the top of Google searches). Queries covered subjects such as where to find local news, crime, planning, housing, roads, council decisions, sport and local events The 244,725 citations across five AI chatbots drew on 10,000 unique websites. On crime queries, police force websites supplied 57.8% of the answers and appeared in 95.9% of them. The research focused on both established local newspapers and on less established news sites that post local news regularly. Chris Donnelly, Searchable CEO, explained