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Beyond the AI hysteria: What journalists are actually using it for

AI in journalism has shifted from a disruptive threat to a practical tool, helping reporters work smarter without replacing them. While early fears of automation taking over newsrooms have faded, AI-powered tools are proving invaluable for tasks like transcription, data analysis, and investigative research. The challenge now is how journalists can harness AI’s potential while ensuring accuracy, credibility, and public trust in their reporting.

Healthbeat focuses on three broad topics: infectious diseases, accountability of the public health system and serving professionals in the local communities who work on public health issues. The coverage in Healthbeat is driven by independent accountability journalism and serving a community-centered audience to fill gaps in important information.

It’s time for every public media board, executive team and CEO to ask a hard question: Do we have the right leadership and skills to lead a radical digital transformation? If not, E&P columnist Tom Davidson says it’s time to fix that — even if it means firing people.
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The rivalry between New York newspaper tabloids created a famously competitive and sharp-elbowed media environment — one that benefitted generations of readers. Kathy Kiely and Vincent Morris understand this because they worked on opposite sides of the celebrated New York Daily News/New York Post feud. However, in this column for E&P, they write that the public sometimes benefits more when those rivalries are put aside. “To our former colleagues in the Washington press corps: That time is now.”
“Helping local media companies discover new and sustainable business models” is the sole focus of the Local Media Association. The Local Media Foundation is a charitable trust and “serves as the innovation and transformation affiliate of LMA.” Together, they are making a concerted effort to transform legacy media business models for the digital age and assist local media entrepreneurs to establish their credibility and build a loyal audience.
The U.S. press is in crisis. Beyond the market pressures that have for years now carved newsrooms hollow, external threats — of a physical, rhetorical and legal nature — abound. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker found 48 cases of journalists being detained or arrested in 2024 alone. The Tracker also chronicles incidents of assaults on journalists. Another growing concern for news media publishers is the threat of legal action.
Winter may be a slow season for some businesses, but for savvy media sales professionals, it’s the perfect time to “make hay while the sun shines.” While others wait for spring to bring in ad dollars, you can capitalize on Q1’s biggest sales opportunities—targeting industries that thrive in the first quarter, from fitness and tax prep to home goods and big-ticket retail. The key? Knowing where the money is moving and aligning your clients with timely promotions. Here’s how you can turn traditionally bleak winter billing into a strong start to 2025.
The Independent has defied the odds, transforming from a U.K. broadsheet into a thriving digital powerhouse with a growing U.S. audience. While many news organizations struggle with trust, engagement, and revenue, CEO Christian Broughton says The Independent is breaking through by staying true to its core mission: delivering fearless, independent journalism without political bias. With U.S. readership up 85% in 2024 and bold plans to expand its editorial and commercial teams, The Independent is proving that high-quality, agenda-free news still has a place in the digital age.
Your readers are probably not as sensitive to graphic war photography as you think. That’s the takeaway from academics who led a study examining readers’ sensitivity to photos that depict war’s reality.
Mike Luckovich hasn’t felt the need to pull any punches during his three decades of drawing political cartoons for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist admits even he’s a bit apprehensive as Donald Trump reoccupies the White House. He spoke with Editor & Publisher about his approach to drawing Trump, the difficulty finding an online audience for local cartoons and the current state of the profession.
If you had to distill down to a single phrase the educational culture at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), it might read, “a place for innovative experiential learning.” From SOJC’s newly designed curricula to internships, study-abroad opportunities, student-run magazines and radio and TV stations, graduates are exceptionally prepared for the ever-evolving, demanding fields they professionally pursue.
Nonprofit newsrooms are not the only ones securing philanthropic dollars. A 2023 report from Media Impact Funders and NORC at the University of Chicago found that two-thirds of for-profit newsrooms received some form of donor support, including direct grants, training programs or access to services.
The courts and the FCC have noted that “public interest” implies a balance of all relevant factors that the agency should consider. However, the FCC and the courts have failed to build a body of precedent to imbue the public interest standard with a concrete, durable meaning. This decades-long lack of clarity calls for more focused legislative attention to what decisional guidance should be delegated to the FCC.
The increasing intensity of wildfires, hurricanes, tornados and other natural disasters and emergencies that can occur any time and anywhere has only made reporting the news more perilous. Kate Maxwell, founder and former publisher of The Mendocino (California) Voice, experienced this firsthand when covering the deadliest fire in Mendocino County history in 2017 and very severe winter storms and droughts. This motivated her to develop and launch the Local News Go Bag Toolkit project.
The Center for Journalism Liberty, a division of the Open Markets Institute, is defending journalism’s role in the U.S. democracy by closely watching how Big Tech is breaching antitrust principles and creating an unfair atmosphere for news publishers. The Center is picking through the thorny issues while also recommending policy.
The 29th Annual EPPY Awards, announced on November 17, 2024, celebrated the pinnacle of digital media innovation and excellence. With over 500 entries from around the globe, this year’s competition showcased the best in local journalism, cutting-edge website design, and impactful storytelling across more than 40 categories. From The Boston Globe to The Outlaw Ocean Project, and Consumer Reports to emerging college journalists, these winners exemplify the talent and creativity redefining modern media. Here’s a closer look at some of the standout winners and their remarkable achievements.
In the current environment, small, local news outlets must consider any strategy to remain solvent and sustainable. A merger was the strategy for Emily Sachar, founder and editor of The Daily Catch in Red Hook, New York, which she launched in 2021, and Mark Fuerst, founder and publisher of the Hudson Valley Pilot since the fall of 2022, serving the nearby town of Rhinebeck.
Every new year is an opportunity to set personal and professional goals for the next 12 months, to reaffirm and reinforce the values that are the foundation of your happiness and livelihood, launch new initiatives and contribute to the health and prosperity of your community. Editor & Publisher has invited leaders and influencers in the media and news industries to share their New Year’s resolutions for 2025.
The past year has been anything but ordinary. We are all hoping for a new normal in 2025. The only way to get there is to go back to basics. Resolve to practice improving, at the very least, one key core sales skill.
Trusting News, an organization that advocates for journalists to demonstrate their credibility and earn trust, published a study in September that measured news consumers’ trust in AI uses for journalism. Nearly 94% of news consumers who participated in the survey said they wanted the use of AI to be disclosed.
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Any organization or business able to maintain and expand its mission, serve its members or clients successfully and create a dominant leadership position for 139 years is to be treasured. In the newspaper industry, that treasure is the National Newspaper Association (NNA) and its companion organization, the National Newspaper Association Foundation (NNAF).
The era of paperboys and adult carriers has ended for most newspapers as current subscribers are spread throughout the coverage area, including many in surrounding counties. Often, a small, local newspaper is the only publication in a multi-county portion of its state. Consequently, more rely on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver their physical newspapers.
In recent years, the Chicago Sun-Times has fully embraced community-focused journalism under the leadership of Jennifer Kho, who was appointed executive editor in 2022. The first woman and person of color to lead the newsroom, Kho has driven a transformation rooted in listening and collaboration.
The Atlanta Voice has been a steadfast pillar in the Black press since its founding in 1966, born out of the Civil Rights Movement to give voice to a community often ignored by mainstream media. Today, under the leadership of Publisher Janis Ware and Editor-in-Chief Donnell Suggs, the historic publication continues to evolve, combining its storied legacy with modern multimedia initiatives, while maintaining its mission: “A People Without A Voice Cannot Be Heard.”
The United States may have made measurable progress in reducing pollution since the 1970s. However, pollution and toxins remain an environmental bane, and industrial contamination continues to spoil soil, water and air around the country, creating public health crises in communities nationwide. Pollutants and chemical contaminants present health and safety hazards at every turn, making reporting on them all the more critical.
When it became clear that Hurricane Helene was heading our way, the staff of the Courier Herald in Dublin, Georgia, dived into planning for an unprecedented event. No storm this powerful had rolled through this region in my memory. Our top priority was preparing our readers for what was coming and helping them navigate safely through it.
Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Media, Journalism and Film has a long name, but so is its list of programs, centers, opportunities and accomplishments. Ingrid Sturgis, the department chair, says: “We pride ourselves on having a full, robust journalism program. We’re doubling down on investigative journalism now, but we’ve had investigative journalism courses going back almost 10 years.”
Remember when we said FAST channels would disrupt local TV? The same revolution is happening in audio, and publishers can’t afford to ignore it. With 83% of adults tuning into AM/FM radio (Nielsen) but over half of spoken-word listening now on digital devices (NPR), local media can leverage this shift to disrupt audio markets using their brand strength, audience trust, and advertiser relationships—no FCC license required.
This summer, an elite group of student journalists fanned out across the country to investigate the state of American democracy as part of the prestigious Carnegie-Knight News21 fellowship. Through immersive, on-the-ground reporting, these rising stars uncovered critical issues, from voting rights in Alabama to threats against election officials nationwide. Armed with deep research and mentorship from experts, they crafted stories, documentaries, and interactive projects to illuminate challenges and showcase those working across political divides—all while redefining what it means to report on a fractured democracy.
Pete Rose wasn’t born with exceptional talents. He was not fast. He wasn’t graceful like DiMaggio or Ken Griffy. He didn’t have a strong arm like Roberto Clemente (or Al Kaline). What he did have was a consistent effort to give his all and get the maximum out of the abilities he possessed. That is the key to being an All-Star Seller — consistency of effort. A thirst to win! You have to hustle!