News Automation – The rewards, risks and realities of ‘machine journalism’ report by WAN-IFRA
A new report, ‘AI in the Newsroom’, has been published by the World Editors Forum, the network for editors within WAN-IFRA. The report is the second of the 2019 Trends in Newsrooms series. It features case studies of how artificial intelligence is being used in newsrooms around the world, plus discussion of the risks, challenges, and ethics involved with it.
Through case studies and interviews with individuals at the forefront of AI, the report offers an in-depth look at how AI is impacting and transforming the news creation process. The case studies go beyond inspiring examples from well-funded, pioneering newsrooms. Included are ideas from resource-challenged operations who are experimenting with machine learning to eliminate repetitive tasks and augment decision making, thereby freeing up journalists. The report offers expert advice for those wanting to start their AI journey.
“Through investigations such as the Panama Papers, we have seen the power of AI and what it can do for journalism. Projects on that scale require vast resources and collective effort. Many small newsrooms looking for tech solutions to solve resource issues or tailor their products don’t know where to start. We hope the examples in this report inspire them,” said Cherilyn Ireton, executive director of the World Editors Forum.
The technology is evolving rapidly, and so is experimentation and adoption. WAN-IFRA is expected to release more of its work on this subject in the years to come. The report is its second on this subject this year. It builds on ‘News Automation – The rewards, risks, and realities of machine journalism.’
Case studies
The case studies included in the report are MittMedia, Sweden, The Business Times, Singapore, Radar, UK, Aftenposten, Norway, Dagens Næringsliv, Norway. The 28-page report is available free to download for members of WAN-IFRA and the World Editors Forum at the following link – AI in Newsroom.
The first report in the Trends in Newsrooms 2019 edition, Audience and Community take center stage, is available here under the same terms.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
