NEW DELHI: A transformative three-day workshop on the Ethical Use of AI in Journalism took place in Noida, India, from March 7-9.
Organized by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and Voice of America (VOA), the event aimed to empower journalists from South Asia with the knowledge and tools to navigate the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence in media.
The workshop, led by expert trainers Manon Verchot and Sanshey Biswas from InOldNews, attracted 28 participants from Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka.
The workshop covered a wide range of topics, focusing on the integration of AI tools into modern journalism while ensuring ethical practices.
The trainers provided deep insights into how AI is already being used in newsrooms and publications, and how journalists can leverage AI to optimize their content creation processes.
One of the core sessions explored the importance of optimizing prompt writing, comparing results from multiple generative AI tools, and how to improve AI-assisted journalism workflows.
A key theme of the workshop was differentiating between the hype surrounding AI and its practical, everyday applications.
Participants learned how to critically assess AI-generated content, identifying and addressing common mistakes AI can make, such as bias and inaccuracies.
By emphasizing the ethical use of AI, the trainers encouraged journalists to be cautious of the potential pitfalls while leveraging the technology’s power to enhance their work.
Beyond content creation, the workshop delved into more specialized applications of AI.
Journalists were trained to use AI tools for fact-checking content across different topics, which is becoming an essential skill in today’s fast-paced media environment.
Additionally, there were hands-on sessions that introduced journalists to AI’s potential for improving audio-related tasks—such as transcription, summarization, and cleaning up raw audio from interviews—allowing them to enhance the quality of their reporting.
The training didn’t stop at written or audio content. Participants also explored how AI can be used for data extraction from documents, generating visuals through AI-driven platforms, and developing strategies for maintaining consistency in visual content creation.
This aspect of the workshop underscored the power of AI in transforming how journalists can present complex stories, making them more visually engaging and accessible to wider audiences.
Engaging the audience effectively was another focal point. The trainers demonstrated how AI tools can be utilized to create compelling social media videos, which are crucial for promoting stories in today’s digital-first media landscape.
They also emphasized how AI could help in the creation of editorial stories or series, developing content that not only informs but resonates with readers across different platforms.
Perhaps most importantly, the workshop highlighted the value of human touch in journalism, a theme that was woven throughout all the training sessions.
While AI can automate and enhance many aspects of journalism, the trainers stressed the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity, creativity, and empathy—qualities that AI cannot replicate.
The workshop concluded with a powerful reminder to journalists: AI should be used to complement, not replace, the core values of journalism.
One of the participants, Gobi Yoesh from Sri Lanka, shared his thoughts on the experience, calling the workshop “extremely fruitful and productive.”
He noted that it gave participants a comprehensive understanding of how AI tools can be used effectively in newsrooms, enabling them to better navigate the changing landscape of media and technology.
This event was a significant step in preparing journalists from South Asia for the future of media, ensuring that they not only understand the capabilities of AI but also recognize the ethical responsibilities that come with using such powerful tools in the pursuit of truth and fairness in journalism.
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