Small newsrooms have fallen behind larger ones in adopting Artificial Intelligence, and the technology is under-used at the local level mainly because of time and resource constraints, a new report shows.
Interest is high in automation that could free journalists from routine tasks, streamline production and make better use of content, but the latitude to experiment is limited, and local news providers could benefit from additional training, according to the Associated Press study, which is based on survey results and in-depth interviews. Among the nearly 200 newsrooms surveyed were print, radio, television and digital-only outlets.
“With this report, AP aims to raise awareness and also begin to level the AI playing field for local newsrooms,” said Jim Kennedy, senior vice president of strategic planning at the wire service, which was an early adopter of AI. “The goal is to help them harness innovative technology to improve their operations.”
The report highlights familiar weaknesses in the local news environment. “Many newsrooms spoke of staff turnover, frequently losing the one person who had been the driver of innovation. Others spoke of being unable to spare one of a handful of reporters to take a month to learn how a speculative technology might enhance, and not distract, from their other duties,” the report notes. “What’s more, current technology in local newsrooms is patchy and often does not sync. Adding still another layer to an already cumbersome technology stack can be out of the question for many newsrooms.”
To make progress, the report says, newsrooms will need to keep a lid on costs, maintenance requirements and staff learning curves while ensuring humans retain control over how to identify sources and other sensitive matters.
Still, investing a little time in AI now could save newsrooms a lot of time later, said Professor Jeremy Gilbert, Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, which participated in the AP study. “You have to spend some time thinking about the tools that everyone needs to be more efficient,” Gilbert said. “It really is incumbent on journalism leaders and funders to do this in a way that is practical.”
Newsroom tasks that could be automated using AI include transcribing and translating interviews, delivering story recommendations to online readers, reporting scores from high-school sports and enhancing the fact-check process. Survey respondents also recognized the potential of AI to improve reporting functions, such as analyzing public records and sifting through social-media content.
Some capabilities will “just happen,” Gilbert said, because they will be built into everyday systems, as in the case of spell-checking today. Most newsrooms will benefit from all-in-one, integrated solutions, rather than building customized systems or using an a la carte approach to adopt AI tools one at a time, he said.
To address a need highlighted in the report, AP will offer a free online curriculum beginning next month, open to all U.S. news outlets. It will feature live, virtual workshops and recorded tutorials. International news outlets will have access to all recorded sessions. “We will be digging into a range of technologies and focusing on the pain points that AI and automation can help to alleviate at the local level,” said Aimee Rinehart, program manager of AP’s local news AI initiative.
The report and online curriculum are part of a two-year project funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help local newsrooms expand the use of AI. The full AP report is available online, and media can register online for the curriculum.
Northwestern’s Gilbert and Joe Germuska, executive director at Knight Lab, devoted a section of their fall 2021 class to shaping the survey, interviewing newsroom representatives and providing an AI product overview. Participating were students Hannah Barton, Helen Bradshaw, Joshua Hoeflich, Grace Lee and Sammie Pyo.
Article image by Hitesh Choudhary used under Unsplash license (Unsplash)
