This article from Journalism & Mass Communications Quarterly is like reading the opening remarks from a well-produced panel.
Six scholars present ideas about AI in journalism.
Author and NYU professor Meredith Broussard warns against technochauvinism: ‘let us not perpetuate the assumption that because a particular new technology exists, it is the right tool for every task.’ She suggests notwithstanding technology benefits, ‘journalism is a deeply human endeavour’ and will always have humans at its core: ‘Journalism is about telling stories about the human condition.’
Fellow author Nicholas Diakopoulos agrees humans will stay at the centre and that ‘the future of AI in journalism has a lot of people around.’ The Northwestern professor sees workforces becoming increasingly hybridized, with machines augmenting human journalists — but not replacing them. Having human values central to news work cuts both ways — it also means human bias can permeate algorithms.
Andrea Guzman says adjusting to new cooperative workflows with machines applies to humans as well. Guzman, a professor at Northern Illinois University and author, says journalists need to work more closely with peers in technology and computer science. New insights are needed, and achieving them requires overcoming legacy thinking.
From Cornell, Professor Rediet Abebe asks pointedly: ‘Which humans?’ She says if boundaries are to be crossed, let them include marginalized communities, too. She wants the opportunity not to be missed for AI to ‘shed light on discrepancies that exist in the attention given to improving the lives of different communities.’
The final remarks call for education as a practical next step. Professor Michel Dupagne at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Ching-Hua Chan at the University of Miami propose learning programs to help journalists understand artificial intelligence. They suggest journalists don’t need to learn the math and mechanics of AI. Instead, it would be beneficial to acquire familiarity with fundamental concepts: ‘the strengths, weaknesses, processes, ethical issues, and various applications of AI related to our field.’
The guest editor for the forum, Seth Lewis, says AI is another example of journalism co-evolving with computers over time. Lewis is at the University of Oregon.
‘The implications of AI for journalism must be foregrounded in the larger context of the digitization of media and public life—a transition to apps, algorithms, social media, and the like in ways that have transformed journalism as institution: undercutting business models, upending work routines, and unleashing a flood of information alternatives to news, among other things.’
Seth C. Lewis, from the introduction
AUTHORS
- Meredith Broussard – New York University
- Nicholas Diakopoulos – Northwestern University
- Andrea L. Guzman – Northern Illinois University
- Rediet Abebe – Cornell University
- Michel Dupagne – Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- Ching-Hua Chuan – University of Miami
SEE FULL PAPER from publisher (pay)
Broussard, M. et al. (2019) ‘Artificial Intelligence and Journalism,’ Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699019859901