San Fransisco Chronicle uses bot to reach users during Coronavirus outbreak

Published on March 22, 2020 by Mollie Muchna | Reading Time: < 1 minute

The San Fransisco Chronicle reminded their readers of their commitment to serving their community by adding a bot, called the assignment editor, to their home page and some stories. The bot allows users to ask questions related to the Coronavirus pandemic. “Life in the Bay Area has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic,” the prompt reads. “Tell us the questions you want answered, and the issues you think we should be investigating.” The team can then use the responses to write stories or use the information to make coverage decisions.

Mollie Muchna

mollie@trustingnews.org | + posts

Project manager Mollie Muchna (she/her) has spent the last 10 years working in audience and engagement journalism in local newsrooms across the Southwest. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism. She can be reached at mollie@trustingnews.org and on Twitter @molliemuchna.