Three steps to an AI-ready newsroom: A practical guide

We are witnessing a major transformation in how news is created, distributed, and consumed. The adoption of AI in journalism offers both opportunities and risks for newsrooms worldwide.

AI tools can improve the production and distribution of news, speed up fact-checking, and help resource-limited newsrooms do more. Yet AI tools pose many risks.

When newsrooms use generative AI without proper human oversight, they risk publishing errors that directly damage their reputation and reader trust—potentially driving away subscribers and making advertisers, funders, or sponsors think twice.

Similarly, AI recommendation systems that chase clicks and engagement can end up burying newsrooms’ best work. Those investigative stories your team spent months researching—about corruption or human rights abuses—might get pushed aside for lighter or viral content, essentially wasting your newsroom’s limited resources and diluting what makes your journalism stand out.

For news organisations already struggling financially, these AI missteps can directly hit your revenue, weaken your competitive edge, and even create legal headaches.

Getting AI right not only upholds journalistic standards and ethics, but also can protect your newsroom’s financial health, reputation, and future in an increasingly challenging media environment.

By developing responsible AI practices now, your newsroom will be better positioned to adapt to future technological developments while maintaining trust with your audience.