Newsroom Robots

Zach Seward, Editorial Director of AI Initiatives at The New York Times and co-founder of Quartz, discusses the innovative strides AI is making in journalism. He shares how his five-person AI team supports investigative work by analyzing massive data sets. The conversation highlights their in-house tool, Echo, which streamlines article transformation for reporters. Zach emphasizes the importance of trust and agency in the newsroom, as well as how AI enhances reader engagement and reshapes audience interactions with news.

When officials in Santa Clara County (home to Silicon Valley) publicly proclaimed they were not sharing data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they likely did not expect to be caught in a contradiction. Yet behind the scenes, those same officials had recently signed new contracts with the federal agency — a fact that might have remained hidden if not for a new generation of AI tools developed at Stanford University.This breakthrough was made possible by Big Local News, a Stanford-based initiative using AI to help local journalists uncover stories hidden deep within public records. As local newsrooms grapple with shrinking resources and overwhelming amounts of data, tools like these are helping restore investigative capacity where it’s needed most.In this episode of Newsroom Robots, Cheryl Phillips, founder and co-director of Big Local News at Stanford University, joins host Nikita Roy to share how her team is building AI-powered tools that support watchdog journalism and make complex data more accessible to reporters across the country.Key topics include:Agenda Watch, a tool that scrapes and indexes public meeting agendas to surface early signals of newsworthy developments across thousands of local agencies.DataTalk, an AI assistant that turns natural language questions into campaign finance data queries, simplifying analysis for journalists without coding expertise.The use of generative AI and large-scale scraping systems to analyze police misconduct records and create public-facing accountability databases.How Big Local News uses Slack-integrated bots to deliver real-time alerts on layoffs and problematic fiscal audits to local newsrooms across the U.S.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kasper Lindskow, Head of AI at JP/Politikens Media Group, leads innovative AI initiatives in journalism. He discusses the challenges of scaling AI in newsrooms and the importance of a robust infrastructure. Key highlights include the Platform Intelligence in News project and the Magna AI suite, designed to adapt to different publications. Kasper also shares insights on maintaining journalistic integrity through the 'Values Compass' and training journalists to effectively use AI tools, ensuring their successful integration into daily workflows.

Imagine a newsroom where AI agents assist with reporting, actively surface leads, analyze government data, and help journalists navigate complex investigations in real time. Norway’s iTromsø is laying the groundwork for exactly that.In the second part of this episode with Rune Ytreberg, head of data journalism at iTromsø, and Lars Adrian Giske, head of AI join host Nikita Roy to share how their small but ambitious newsroom is systematically building an infrastructure for AI-powered journalism. This isn’t just about isolated tools—it’s about creating a cohesive ecosystem where AI enhances reporting at every level.Rather than simply bolting AI onto existing workflows, iTromsø is focused on building a structured data infrastructure that supports AI agents across multiple newsroom functions.Their vision includes:A centralized AI-powered data interface that allows journalists to filter, analyze, and cross-reference government records, public documents, and municipal archives.Automated news alerts that notify reporters when AI detects important patterns or anomalies in the data.A structured repository of historical data, ensuring journalists have context-rich information at their fingertips, allowing for deeper investigative work.This structured approach isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about creating a foundation where AI can play an active role in surfacing critical stories.iTromsø is designing an AI-ready newsroom—one where structured data, automated insights, and AI-assisted research come together to elevate investigative journalism.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Translating a journalist's gut instinct into code—is it possible? In Norway, iTromsø—a long-standing regional newspaper known for its investigative journalism and deep local coverage—has found a way.Their AI system, DJINN (Data Journalism Interface for News Gathering and Notification), acts like an experienced beat reporter, scanning hundreds of municipal documents and surfacing the most newsworthy leads. The impact? In their first week using DJINN, summer interns fresh out of journalism school produced five front-page stories—on a beat that usually takes years to master.In this episode of Newsroom Robots, Rune Ytreberg and Lars Adrian Giske join host Nikita Roy to talk about iTromsø’s structured approach to AI-driven reporting and how they built tools that strengthen their local journalism.Rune leads iTromsø’s data journalism lab, where he has been developing AI-driven editorial solutions for 70 local newspapers within the Polaris Media Group since 2020. And Lars is the Head of AI at iTromsø and led the development of DJINN. Since its launch in 2023, 36 newspapers across Norway have adopted DJINN, sourcing documents from nearly half of all Norwegian municipalities.Key topics include:•How a small newsroom built AI tools to strengthen investigative journalism•Why their AI systems are designed for specific beats like urban planning and fisheries, reducing hallucinations and increasing precision.•Embedding editorial expertise in AI development•How their fisheries database flagged irregularities and how their urban planning system transformed local accountability coverage.This is just Part 1 of our deep dive into how iTromsø is using AI to power investigative reporting. In Part 2, Rune and Lars will discuss their latest project: AI-powered research assistants that will proactively surface investigative leads for their journalists.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Brown, president of The Poynter Institute and former chair of the Pulitzer Prizes, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the Pulitzer Board's decision to require AI disclosure in prize submissions. In 2024, two Pulitzer Prize winners disclosed using AI in their work - City Bureau and Invisible Institute used machine learning to analyze police misconduct files for "Missing in Chicago," while The New York Times' visual investigations desk employed AI to identify bomb craters in Gaza. Of the 45 finalists that year, five had disclosed using AI in their submissions. In this episode, Brown discusses how the Pulitzer Board approached AI disclosure requirements and shares his perspective on technology's evolving role in journalism.Key topics include:The Pulitzer Board's approach to AI disclosure and transparencyHow newsrooms can bridge the divide between technical and editorial teamsWhy newsrooms need to take a longitudinal approach to technology adoptionThe importance of involving audiences in technological innovationLessons from journalism's digital transformation that apply to the AI eraSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Upasna Gautam, Senior Platform Product Manager at CNN and Chair of the Board of Directors at the News Product Alliance, dives into the transformative role of AI in journalism. She introduces her three-question framework for AI integration and shares insights from building CNN's Stellar platform. Key highlights include empowering editorial teams, fostering collaboration to build trust, and practical strategies for AI implementation in resource-constrained newsrooms. Gautam also discusses evolving content management systems and the critical balance between technology and journalistic integrity.

Agnes Stenbom, Sweden’s AI Person of the Year and Head of IN/LAB at Schibsted Media, discusses innovative approaches to journalism. She talks about transforming news into rap music to engage younger audiences and leveraging AI for personalized news experiences. Stenbom shares insights on ethical AI use and the challenges of fostering newsroom culture to embrace technology. She also emphasizes the importance of inclusion and collaboration in reshaping journalistic practices across the Nordic region.

Ritvvij Parrikh, Senior Director of Product at Times of India, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how AI-powered personalization is transforming news distribution and why newsrooms need to rethink their approach to revenue optimization.Parrikh, who leads product development at India's largest English-language news organization, discusses their innovative approach to news personalization that increased click-through rates by 85% on web and 40% on mobile. His team developed a proprietary recommendation system that automatically optimized content distribution for individual readers. As an industry thought leader, Parrikh has been instrumental in demonstrating how newsrooms can build AI systems that balance editorial judgment with reader preferences while maintaining journalistic integrity.Key topics include:Building newsroom-specific recommendation systems that understand news cyclesThe critical importance of real-time data infrastructure for modern newsroomsWhy newsrooms should master focus on building the operational infrastructures to power AISign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Schori is the Deputy Managing Editor and Associate Publisher at Aftonbladet, Sweden’s largest newspaper. He discusses Aftonbladet’s cutting-edge AI hub, which has transformed editorial workflows and enhanced reader engagement through initiatives like an EU election chatbot. Schori shares insights on analyzing gender representation in news coverage using AI and tackles the ethical challenges of integrating technology into journalism. His experience highlights the pivotal role of AI in evolving storytelling and audience interaction.