Technology is always evolving, and with each new advancement, the way we consume news changes too. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of smartphone journalism, reporting on Twitter and TikTok, and even data journalism. While these new technologies have made reporting easier and more engaging, some people worry that they’re also destroying the news industry.
One of the biggest concerns is that automated journalism tools are taking away jobs from human reporters. After all, if a machine can write a story just as well as a person, why do we need journalists at all? While it’s true that automation does have the potential to eliminate some jobs, it’s important to remember that it can also create new opportunities. For example, automated journalism can help reporters find and analyze data more quickly, freeing up their time to focus on more in-depth reporting.
Some people also worry that automated journalism will lead to a decline in the quality of news. However, it’s important to remember that these tools are just tools – it’s up to the people using them to decide how to use them. Automated journalism can produce high-quality, informative articles if it’s used correctly. However, if it’s misused, it can just as easily produce low-quality, clickbait content.
Increased accuracy
As the world becomes increasingly more complex, it becomes increasingly more difficult to ensure factual accuracy in news reporting. With so many sources of information available, it’s easy for journalists to get things wrong – or worse, to deliberately twist the truth in order to push an agenda. That’s why automated journalism tools are becoming increasingly important.
Algorithms and fact-checking software can help to ensure that articles are accurate before they’re published. This helps to prevent false information from spreading, and it also gives readers confidence that the news they’re reading is trustworthy. Automated journalism tools don’t always get things right, but when they do, they play an important role in ensuring factual accuracy in the news industry.
Quicker turnaround times
In the fast-paced world of news, speed is often more important than accuracy. When a major story breaks, journalists need to be able to turn around articles quickly in order to beat their competitors. Automated journalism tools can help with this by generating quick, first-draft articles that can then be edited and improved by human reporters. Program manager at Ijnet, Lakshmi Sivadas believes that in newsrooms around the world, AI is becoming more prevalent. Sivadas voiced, “You can either choose to be a part of the people who are making decisions about how it’s going to be used, or you can sit back and watch it destroy the systems and ethical practices that journalism was built on.”
Improved by human reporters.
This doesn’t mean that automated journalism will replace human reporters entirely – far from it. But it does mean that automated tools can help journalists to work more efficiently, and to get their stories out to readers faster.
In-depth analysis
One of the most time-consuming parts of being a journalist is sifting through all of the information that’s available on a given topic. Automated journalism tools can help with this by quickly sorting and analyzing data, freeing up reporters’ time to focus on more in-depth analysis. Team lead, Mattia Peretti at Ijnet, expresses, “There is not one single journalism student that decided to take this career path because they were dying to sift through PDF documents day after day.”
For example, automated tools can help reporters to track down research papers, to find experts to interview, and to gather data from multiple sources. This saves reporters a lot of time, and it also helps to ensure that they don’t miss any important information.
New job opportunities
While it’s true that automated journalism tools have the potential to eliminate some jobs, it’s important to remember that they can also create new opportunities. For example, as automated tools become more sophisticated, there will be a need for people who understand how to use them effectively. In addition, automated journalism can help reporters find and analyze data more quickly, freeing up their time to focus on more in-depth reporting.
