We’re looking for newsrooms who want to lead the way in transparent AI practices. Participating newsrooms will each receive a $2,000 stipend.
Apply to join Trusting News’ paid newsroom cohort on AI transparency
Trusting News is excited to announce a new opportunity for newsrooms to participate in our research and experimentation focused on transparency around AI use in journalism. This initiative, made possible by a grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, will explore how in-story disclosures about AI can foster trust with audiences.
Apply here by Jan. 10, 2025. Participating newsrooms will receive $2,000 upon completion.
In our first AI newsroom cohort, we collaborated with 10 newsrooms to survey and interview their audiences about perceptions of AI use in journalism. This work helped us understand audience concerns and expectations regarding AI (they want transparency!) as well as the importance of transparency in fostering trust. The findings informed the creation of an AI Trust Kit, which includes recommendations for newsrooms on how to be transparent about the use of AI, a sample user survey and a sample community interview guide.
This second cohort will build on this work by focusing on testing in-story disclosure language directly with audiences.
Specifics
We are looking for 10 newsrooms to join this second cohort. Teams of two or three people will participate from each newsroom. Participants can be from any role in the newsroom, as long as you have some involvement in decisions about AI use. (This opportunity is not a good fit for freelancers.)
Each participating newsroom will receive $2,000 upon completing the program, which will run from February 3 to April 30, 2025.
To qualify, newsrooms must:
- Use AI regularly enough to add public-facing disclosure language to at least 10 stories during the cohort period.
- Be willing to collaborate on research by attaching in-story surveys or other feedback methods to the disclosures.
- Attend weekly one-hour trainings or one-on-one coaching sessions during the cohort period.
- Commit to sharing data with Trusting News about how your audience responds to your disclosures. The guides we produce for the industry will include both anonymized themes and specific examples.
Newsrooms should be prepared to commit three to five hours a week (per team, not per participant) to the cohort and will need management approval to participate.
Key Dates
- Applications Due: January 10, 2025
- Selected Newsrooms Notified: January 24, 2025
- Kickoff Call: Week of February 3, 2025
- Cohort Period Ends: April 30, 2025
Why Participate?
This cohort offers newsrooms a chance to lead the way in transparent AI practices. By crafting and testing AI disclosures, participants will not only strengthen audience trust but also contribute to vital research on effective transparency in journalism. They will also have the support of the Trusting News team and other newsrooms as they experiment with this emerging and quickly evolving aspect of their work.
Need more reasons? Below is what two participants from the first cohort said:
The discussion with other journalists was useful as we grapple with the difficult decisions surrounding AI. Trusting News’ guidance helped us to stay focused on the critical questions facing newsrooms everywhere. — Demian Perry, Digital Director, Science News
This cohort allowed us to have concentrated time for big-picture thinking on a topic affecting our newsroom and others. I appreciated being able to learn about the latest research and conversations surrounding AI. I learned a lot from other newsrooms about their approach, as well. — Kate Winkle, KXAN
Ask your questions at this upcoming Q&A session
Have questions? Join us for a virtual Q&A session on December 19, 2024, at 3 PM EST or email Lynn Walsh: Lynn@TrustingNews.org.
How to apply
Click here to submit your application. Be sure to apply by January 10, 2025.
At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. Learn more about our work, vision and team. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Assistant director Lynn Walsh (she/her) is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has worked in investigative journalism at the national level and locally in California, Ohio, Texas and Florida. She is the former Ethics Chair for the Society of Professional Journalists and a past national president for the organization. Based in San Diego, Lynn is also an adjunct professor and freelance journalist. She can be reached at lynn@TrustingNews.org and on Twitter @lwalsh.
