Most journalists use AI; few newsrooms have policies

AI is a paradigm shift in how we work. The best quote I got from one of the newsrooms and partners is that it’s not an option anymore. You need to have a policy on this. It’s not a luxury anymore. It’s in your newsroom. And the longer you delay it, the faster you escalate your demise from a competitive point of view — from a quality point of view.”

Heba Kandil, head of media initiatives, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Your journalists are already using AI, even if you think they’re not. So, now is a good time to decide what’s appropriate and how you want your newsroom to use AI.

That’s essentially the advice from the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which in May published a guide for newsrooms to navigate AI technology. Entitled “Three steps to an AI-ready newsroom: A practical guide,” the guide laid out a commonsense approach.

Step #1: Identify your AI tools

Step #2: Map the risks and solutions

Step #3: Integrate AI guidelines into your editorial policies.

The guide, free to download, comes with a series of bullet points to think about as newsroom leaders work through each of the steps. The guide aligns with Thomson Reuters Foundation’s research  on the use of AI, according to Heba Kandil, head of media initiatives at the Foundation. Thomson Reuters Foundation surveyed around 200 journalists from all over the world and asked questions about their AI usage.

“One of the stark gaps was that even though 80% of the journalists surveyed said they were using AI tools in various parts of their news production, only 13% said that their newsrooms had official policies in place. … One of the gaps is actually a culture and a mindset.”

Kandil said that legacy media leaders were often busy with or distracted by the numerous issues facing news organizations — from legal attacks to sustainability to digital disruption — and they hadn’t focused on AI policies in their organizations.

“There’s sort of a disconnect or a denial [regarding AI use in newsrooms],” Kandil said. 

There are many risks involved with AI use, from cybersecurity concerns to unwittingly spreading misinformation to disinformation. This can erode trust in journalism organizations.

“We thought, well, how can we, in our role as a media development sector actor, help to strengthen the resilience of journalists in many regions? How can we play a part in this? One of the things that came out of [our research] is this toolkit.”

AI can be as simple as grammar writing assistants that flag misspellings, which have been a staple for a long time. But journalists are already learning to use more advanced AI tools without guidance from policy. Whether they’re using programs like ChatGPT or transcription software, reporters are curious creatures who will experiment and test technology. Leaders should be aware of this fact and set some ground rules. The three-step guide is a good place to start.

Kandil said newsrooms can approach AI from very different angles. For example, one outlet that primarily operates in the investigative journalism space approached AI policy from the position of protecting its systems from hackers, to safeguard sources and journalists. Another publication was looking for ways to make its editing process more efficient.

AI can also be a powerful tool for breaking down large amounts of data. It can mean mastering prompt engineering to teach AI things such as local guidelines and standards.

“It's interesting, and we need to be flexible and limber. That’s the whole idea about [the guide] rather than giving them a copy and paste policy,” Kandil said.

She added that journalists can be resistant to AI tools. For cohesion purposes, it’s essential to make clear to journalists that AI will be used to complement human brainpower.

Kandil noted, “Another finding was that, for a newsroom, the quickest way for newsroom leaders to bring along their staff, have them relax a bit and breathe a sigh of relief, is ensuring that AI is not replacing them.”

“AI is a paradigm shift in how we work. The best quote I got from one of the newsrooms and partners is that it’s not an option anymore,” Kandil added. “You need to have a policy on this. It’s not a luxury anymore. It’s in your newsroom. And the longer you delay it, the faster you escalate your demise from a competitive point of view — from a quality point of view.”

Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.