In today’s episode, Ryan Serpico joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how he built the first generative AI tool that is helping power local newsrooms across Hearst Newspapers. Ryan is Hearst Newspapers first AI and Automation Engineer, where he takes advantage of the latest developments in generative AI to empower journalists in Hearst Newspapers' local newsrooms across the country. Prior to moving into this role, he spent three years at the San Antonio Express-News, first as a digital producer and then as a graphics reporter. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2018. You can follow him on mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@ryan_serpico) and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ryan_serpico).We also discuss Ryan’s transition from the editorial side of the newsroom to the technical side, how he views privacy concerns regarding generative AI and his advice for journalists looking to get more technical with AI. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bill Adair, the creator of PolitiFact and the co-founder of the International Fact-Checking Network joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the current state of misinformation in the age of generative AI and the role of journalism in combating it.Bill is a Knight Professor of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University, where he researches new ways to expand fact-checking and combat misinformation. He is currently working on a book about lying in politics. We discuss the potential threats and opportunities that generative AI brings to the industry, the cutting-edge work at the Duke Reporters Lab using generative AI, and the future of automated fact-checking. Tune in to hear Bill's optimistic outlook on leveraging AI to safeguard our information ecosystem.Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here.

In this episode, Tim O'Rourke, the Vice President for Content Strategy at Hearst Newspapers, shares his experience leading the group's DevHub editorial engineering and content strategy team that partners with HNP's local newsrooms on innovative projects and growth strategies. Hearst Newspapers produces 24 daily and 52 weekly publications across the United States. Previously, Tim was the director of product and strategy for The San Francisco Chronicle. He supervised the newsroom's product, website+app, multimedia, and audio staff; directed data-driven coverage; and oversaw the development of interactive projects and journalistic tools for Hearst Newspapers. His former roles include The Chronicle's managing editor, digital; assistant managing editor, and the executive producer of SFChronicle.com. He came to The Chronicle as the senior news editor, responsible for the print front page and news operations. He also served as the night-breaking news editor and the department head for the copy and wire desks. He developed the yearlong Chronicle Covers front-page archive project and wrote the occasional craft beer story for the Food+Wine department.Before joining The Chronicle in 2013, O'Rourke worked as an editor and writer at the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Santa Barbara News-Press, Hartford Courant, and Diablo Magazine.Join us as Tim delves into how Hearst is building their AI strategy in the age of generative AI, looking at the impact of AI-driven chatbots, the opportunities and hurdles in creating AI-powered tools, and Hearst's foray into VR and news gamification. 

In this episode, we explore the crucial considerations when developing an AI strategy and the potential risks of generative AI in the newsroom with Charlie Beckett, Director of the JournalismAI project at Polis – the international journalism think tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science(LSE). He is also a professor at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications. He was previously the director of LSE's Truth, Trust, and Technology Commission, which reported on the misinformation crisis in 2018. Charlie is the author of SuperMedia: Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World (Blackwell, 2008) and WikiLeaks: News In The Networked Era (Polity, 2012).Before LSE, Charlie was an award-winning journalist at LWT, BBC, and ITN, beginning his career at the South London Press and later a program editor at Channel 4 News.JournalismAI, a project of Polis supported by the Google News Initiative, is a global initiative committed to helping news organizations use artificial intelligence responsibly. By fostering innovation and capacity-building, JournalismAI aims to make the potential of AI more accessible and to address inequalities in the global news media related to AI. Through various programs, JournalismAI unites journalists and media professionals to discuss and explore AI, encouraging debates on AI's editorial, ethical, and financial implications on journalism.Join us as Charlie provides his valuable insights on the significance of AI literacy for journalists, the crucial questions to consider when developing an AI strategy for news organizations, the risks and potential limitations of generative AI, and the influence of AI-powered chatbots on search engine traffic.Be a part of the conversation on AI in journalism! Send us your questions here.Here’s a list of helpful resources concerning today’s episode:JournalismAI Case StudiesJournalismAI Starter Pack JournalismAI Discovery Course (Applications currently open)JournalismAI Survey Report (2019)Partnership on AI's Database of AI Tools for Local Newsroom 

How can journalists adopt a human-centered design mindset when building AI-driven products, and what skills will the next generation of journalists need to succeed in an AI-powered newsroom? Today we’re joined by Damon Kiesow, a digital media pioneer specializing in aligning community information needs and business strategies to support sustainable local journalism. Damon shares his expertise as a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, author of the first textbook in News Product Management, and co-founder of the International News Product Alliance. He is also the co-founder of the summer pop-up newsroom, the Missouri Information Corps, and the creator of an audience and product-focused diversity internship program in partnership with the Institute of Nonprofit News.Before joining Mizzou, Damon served as director of Product for McClatchy, where he created the company’s first Product Design and User Experience Research teams. Over at The Boston Globe, as a senior product manager, he helped guide the publication’s mobile strategy. In Nashua, New Hampshire, he served as the managing editor/online at The Telegraph, where he helped the Newsroom pursue a digital-first local news strategy — launching the newspaper’s first mobile app and video journalism efforts.In this episode, we get Damon’s views on how newsrooms can approach AI, delve into the importance of a human-centered design mindset when incorporating AI into newsrooms, and discuss the essential skills journalism students must develop to succeed in this evolving landscape. Be a part of the conversation on AI in journalism! Send us your questions here.