AI In Journalism: Sree Sreenivasan on Creativity, Productivity, and Local News Impact

Listen as we explore how AI tools are revolutionizing the newsroom—from providing SEO support and newsletter creation to transforming traditional text stories into engaging Q&A formats. We'll discuss the promise and challenges of AI in enhancing productivity, creativity, and journalistic skills, as well as its impact on local journalism and news organizations. 

We address essential topics like the potential for job layoffs and the curious future of local news amidst AI advancements. The world of journalism is stepping into a new era, so how do we perceive this transition? How will AI impact the journalism landscape?

If you like what you hear, please hit that subscribe button. Connect with Yumi on LinkedIn to share your thoughts and suggest future topics or even guests. And remember to always keep questioning and keep growing.

Time stamps:

(4:10) AI as a new era in the journalism landscape.

(6:15) LinkedIn, social networking for journalists, and AI pre-ChatGPT

(8:08) Opportunities and dangers of AI on the journalism job market.

(14:52) Using AI writing detector as a learning tool

(22:37) AI tools enhancing productivity and creativity.

(24:03) Demonstrated use of chat GPT and Grammarly.

(27:50) AI could bring local news back cheaper.

Quotes:

"I have found in training journalists about technology for about 30 years now that they are often reluctant to jump into new tech because they're already drowning in tech."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:05:01 → 00:05:14]

"Every major news organization has an AI team, an AI director, VP of AI products. They are determined not to be left behind."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:07:10 → 00:07:22]

"It would be a disservice if I didn't start with the job layoffs, the shuttering of newsrooms… Are we going to be replaced or are we going to be enhanced by what’s coming?

— Yumi Wilson [00:08:09 → 00:08:55]

"AI won't replace humans, but humans using AI will replace humans not using AI."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:09:03 → 00:09:10]

“My message to journalists is... understand this technology, get ahead of it, fight to save the things that you can, push past the things that don't really affect you and show the value of what we do. Journalism matters, accuracy matters, fighting disinformation and misinformation matters."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:10:12 → 00:10:33]

"I would also recommend the journalist toolbox, which is a website and platform that is absolutely essential. It's full of tips and tricks and things that will help people understand how this works."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:15:31 → 00:15:47]

"There's this AI tool called SUDO Write, and it's if you're writing a novel or a short story, and sometimes I'll put in my idea for the premise. And what I love is, like a friend, they're suggesting, well, Yumi, instead of being in the mystical forest, what if you took it to a Sci-Fi you know, dystopian adventure?"

— Yumi Wilson [00:23:03 → 00:23:26]

 "So looking at what they've (ChatGPT) come up with, but knowing that that's just the beginning, and how do I revise that sentence, for example, or that passage so it sounds more like me."

— Yumi Wilson [00:24:44 → 00:24:56]

 "But if you don't know the fundamentals, like, you don't know what makes a great photo or you don't know what makes a great lead in news, and you rely simply on a tool like chat GPT, you could. That could be a real big miss, right?"

— Yumi Wilson [00:26:44 → 00:26:57]

"So what I'm hoping is that AI will allow, at cheaper cost, some news organizations to exist that never would have existed in the old days."

— Sree Sreenivasan [00:28:05 → 00:28:17]

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Further Info:

Connect with Sree - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreenivasan  

Digimentors - https://www.digimentors.group/

SAJA - https://www.saja.org/

Journalist Toolbox AI - https://journaliststoolbox.ai/  

Sudo Write - https://www.sudowrite.com/