Should we start buying coffee for robot journalists?
With the rise of AI usage in newsrooms, the shift from cosy coffee chats with journalists to navigating through algorithms is a potential revolution in public relations. It’s time for PR pros to ask a quirky yet pertinent question: should we start adapting our strategies for robot journalists? This won’t just be about keeping up with technology; it will be about reimagining the ways we will need to tell stories in a digital-first world.
Every day, our world creates an estimated 328.77 million terabytes of data. For newsrooms, this means digging through a digital mountain to find those golden news nuggets. Finding and evaluating potential stories through human efforts alone has become extremely challenging. Simultaneously, AI tools are becoming more accessible and affordable, making them an appealing option for media outlets across the globe. But how much? A recent survey by the London School of Economics in September 2023 gives us the scoop: a whopping 75% of media organisations across 46 countries are now using AI right at the start of their news-making process.
From the Associated Press to Reuters, big news agencies are already using AI for news gathering, mining social platforms and delving into datasets to unearth story leads. RADAR in the UK is creating local news straight from public databases. Top-tier publications such as The Guardian, Forbes, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and the Daily Mirror are also leveraging AI to enhance their capabilities. But AI in journalism isn’t just for the heavy hitters. Local media worldwide are getting in on the action, and we’re even seeing fully automated online publications — no journalists, no editors, just AI.
Undeniably, algorithms today play a significant role in prioritizing, classifying, and filtering information, embedding themselves in various stages of the journalistic process. They are far from perfect; many issues, ranging from biases to ethical implications, need to be addressed. But, let’s face it: this technology is already out there and we can’t ignore it.
The fully automated news production at the moment is mainly focusing on data-based stories, like sports scores, weather updates, traffic, real estate, government and financial reports. While using algorithms to identify the salient trends, AI is capable to create and publish articles by itself. However, news-gathering and possible story-identification is much wider: many newsrooms apply technologies to find trending stories based on social media posts or suddenly increased search terms. It is possible to filter press releases via newswires or editorial email addresses. Some technologies are even capable of finding story angles, gaining background information, and fact-checking the articles. Think of AI as the modern news hound, sniffing out stories from mountains of data and delivering them to the news desk.
Are the days gone when personal connections were the only currency in media relations?
As AI becomes a staple in newsrooms, PR professionals are facing a new challenge: blending traditional methods with advanced technology. With AI playing a bigger role in how news is created, the once-critical personal connections between PR experts and journalists might become less important, but at least it shares our attention.
Now’s the time for PR pros to get savvy with AI-powered newsrooms and reshape their communication tactics. AI’s role in news is growing, and while it’s not a pressing issue at the moment, it’s smart to start thinking about how to make your stories stand out. Every newsroom’s AI has its quirks, so there’s a bit of guesswork involved in catching their eye. Let’s think about what AI might like. Are there certain formats or storytelling styles it prefers? How important are SEO and AI-friendly keywords? Do AI systems have a soft spot for the latest trends and hot topics? And let’s not forget the power of multimedia — images, infographics, videos — in making your content more shareable. It’s also worth considering if tailoring your press releases to each media outlet’s preferred style using AI analysis could give you an edge. And remember, social media is your friend. Sharing your press releases there with the right hashtags might just be the ticket to getting noticed by the algorithms. What works and what doesn’t? We don’t have the answers yet. These are the kinds of questions that must be subjects for several future research. And what is true today, may not be true tomorrow.
To address the original question: robot journalists might not like coffee, but we have to figure out what their drink is. And let’s not forget our old friends, the human journalists. Media simply doesn’t function without emotional intelligence, critical thinking, investigative skills, and networking. I believe there will always be a place for traditional journalists. AI technology will only assist them with repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing more time for quality journalism.
Mate Koczka
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www.akoczka.com
mate@akoczka.com
