Learning from an AI debacle
Since it was revealed that two news organizations had published a syndicated summer reading supplement whose book titles and blurbs were made up by artificial intelligence, “blame AI” has been a common refrain.
But while AI may have made up the book titles, the humans in the loop — or not in the loop — are ultimately accountable. And the experts weighing in on the case used it as an opportunity to call for more training for journalists who use these systems.
As Felix M. Simon, a research fellow in AI and digital news at the Reuters Institute at Oxford University, told The New York Times, “We need better education for everyone from the freelancer level to the executive level.”
That message was similar to one from Poynter’s Alex Mahadevan, director of the MediaWise program, who emphasized the need for AI ethics guidelines and tools training — even for freelancers (as was the author of the books supplement that used AI).
Even before the recent episode, AI experts have been emphasizing the need for training in AI. In a recent piece for Press Gazette, Robin Brown, a lecturer at the University of Salford in the UK, said journalism educators need to “catch up fast.”
“For journalism lecturers and trainers everywhere there’s a new show in town (yes, another one, sorry about that) and you need to know about it,” he writes. “If you don’t, your students will do it themselves — only without the guard rails.”
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
>> Disney CEO told hosts of ‘The View’ to tone down Trump-bashing (Daily Beast)
The women who host The View have been told by Disney and ABC News to tone down their political rhetoric, writes Corbin Bolies, citing multiple sources. The message wasn’t cast as “an edict,” but The View’s staff pushed back forcefully, Bolies writes, and ultimately found the requests “silly.” Still, the episode, Bolies writes, “highlights the current difficult circumstances facing media organizations as Trump and his administration set their sights on bending them to their will over critical coverage.”
- Related: CBS News staffers see leader’s departure as a sign of Trump settlement (The Washington Post)
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Culture & Inclusion
>> Join us: API’s trauma-informed leadership workshop
Trauma-informed leadership recognizes and respects human experiences. Join API’s Sam Ragland Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion of how news leaders can re-order our skillset, emphasizing “soft” skills that will help them maintain critical perspectives and pivotal voices – those from journalists of color and women. Participants will contribute anonymously to a set of interactive slides and receive real-time coaching and context as their responses come in. Learn more and register here.
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> Atlanta Journal Constitution launches UATL (UATL)
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has launched UATL, a new subscription product that offers “content, community and experiences” designed around Black culture. The ATL stands for Atlanta, of course, and the U, it says, “represents diversity of voices and experiences in Black Atlanta: uplifting, unstoppable, unconventional, ubiquitous, upfront, undefeated, upbeat, unbound, unwavering, universal, united…and, well, the list is unlimited.” On LinkedIn, the AJC’s president and publisher, Andrew Morse, described UATL as “an important milestone in our journey to transform our storied daily newspaper into a modern media company.”
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Revenue & Resilience
>> Join us: Steal this idea: Revenue successes with Table Stakes alumni
Looking for ways to get inspired about revenue? Table Stakes alumni (including employees of companies that have participated in the program) are invited to join our “steal this idea” session Thursday, May 29 at 1 pm ET to share your successes and hear how fellow alumni are innovating revenue tactics and strategies to boost the bottom line for community media and local news organizations. Learn more and register here.
>> New from API: How The Chronicle leveraged housing expertise to serve students and businesses — and drive revenue (Better News)
The Chronicle, Duke University’s independent student news organization, organized a virtual housing fair in a bid to stay competitive and keep their share of local marketing dollars. “We played to our strengths,” wrote CEO Chrissy Murray for Better News, noting how community knowledge and face-to-face relationship building helped to attract vendors and attendees.
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What else you need to know
🙌 Founding editor Kimi Yoshino to leave The Banner for The Washington Post (The Baltimore Banner)
🎙️ Holly Kernan tapped as president/CEO of Nashville Public Radio (Inside Radio)
📷 14 visual journalists to join local newsrooms in national initiative with CatchLight and Report For America (CatchLight)
🤝 Knight Foundation appoints new vice president of Community Impact, announces two new strategic roles for AI and research
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Weekend reads
+ Why — and how — journalists from a nonprofit newsroom in Pittsburgh went to Australia (PublicSource)
+ Google’s chief emissary to the news business is stepping down — and looking back (Nieman Lab)
+ Watch: Trump and the press: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
+ Polarization in America: How polarized are we? (Carnegie Corporation of New York)
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