AI in Local News: Uses & Boundaries

AI in Local Newsrooms: A Helping Hand, Not a Replacement

Newsrooms in New Hampshire and beyond are exploring how artificial intelligence can support their work. They're treading carefully and establishing guidelines to prevent AI from writing articles or creating images.

Current AI Applications in Journalism

Many journalists are using AI tools like Otter to transcribe interviews, saving time. Some news outlets use AI to monitor public meetings, helping them discover story ideas and sources.

The Human Element Remains Crucial

There have been instances where using AI in journalism went wrong. For example, the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer published a summer reading list featuring nonexistent books because a freelancer used generative AI without fact-checking. Jonathan Van Fleet, editor of the Concord Monitor, emphasizes that “If you use AI, you have to have a human in the loop.” AI can boost efficiency but cannot replace human reporting, writing, editing, or fact-checking.

Local Newsrooms Set Boundaries

Julie Hirshan Hart, editor at The Laconia Daily Sun, says they are discussing AI policies but will not use generative AI to write articles. She notes that journalists have used AI for brainstorming headlines and photo captions and considered using it to automate tasks like formatting police logs. However, she stresses that AI is just a tool to aid brainstorming or writing and should not replace a journalist's judgment, experience, or voice.

The Concord Monitor uses AI to suggest URLs for better search results and to convert large PDF files of public records into searchable documents. Van Fleet states, “We're using the tool to help us do what we do faster and more efficiently,” but not to cover meetings. He emphasizes the importance of transparency about AI use to maintain reader trust. The Monitor's AI policy, available on its website, requires clear communication about any AI use and mandates that a reporter or editor vet all AI-generated information before publication. The policy stresses that while AI tools can improve efficiency by suggesting headlines, summarizing stories, and organizing public information, they cannot replace human reporting, editing, or judgment.

Van Fleet assures readers that they are “not generating fake articles” or using “a robot” to cover local news. He emphasizes that readers will interact with human reporters who will quote them accurately, and readers can discuss any story with a real person.

This story is part of Know Your News — a Granite State News Collaborative and the New England Newspaper and Press Association's Press Freedom Committee initiative on why the First Amendment, press freedom, and local news matter. Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. More atlaconiadailysun.com/knowyournews.