I’m sorry but under what authority are reporters barred from taking video? Just hit record. You are the press. You don’t have to do whatever the government tells you.
If I see an AI-generated thumbnail, I don't click on the video. If I think I'm watching AI-generated content, I click/swipe away. If you're "creating" AI-generated content, I'm biased to think you're a lazy person looking for shortcuts with little creative ambition.