Advancing Ethical and Strategic AI Adoption in Newsrooms

What’s it about?

The course will focus on equipping media outlets with the tools, governance structures, and legal frameworks necessary to adopt AI in ways that uphold journalistic integrity, operational sustainability, and public trust.

The following objectives define the core ambitions of the programme:

• Empower newsrooms to adopt AI in ways that enhance editorial quality, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability.
• Foster innovation by supporting the creation of newsroom-specific AI tools and prototypes tailored to local needs.
• Strengthen regional media ecosystems by building capacity, encouraging collaboration, and facilitating the exchange of best practices.
• Promote strategic AI integration that aligns with editorial missions and business goals.
• Encourage sustainable innovation that enables newsrooms to adapt, grow, and thrive in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

These objectives reflect the course’s dual imperative of innovation and responsibility—ensuring that AI adoption not only enhances newsroom performance but also reinforces ethical standards, legal compliance, and public trust.

Who is it for?

This course is open to independent newsrooms in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the application is to be completed by senior editors/managers representing the newsrooms.

Logistics

The programme will comprise of:

• One three-day in-person training in Lusaka in February 2026
• Four months of virtual mentoring between March and June 2026
• A two-day in-person closure workshop, including a multi-stakeholder networking event, in June in Lusaka