Welcome, Freelancing for Journalists community, to our latest edition where we delve into the dynamic landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its burgeoning influence on journalism.
As technology continues to evolve, it's no secret that AI is reshaping the way news is gathered, produced, and disseminated. From automated content generation to enhanced data analysis, AI is revolutionizing the very fabric of journalism, presenting both opportunities and challenges for freelancers navigating this rapidly evolving field.
In this edition, we'll explore the multifaceted role of AI in journalism, from its ability to streamline workflows and augment storytelling to its implications for media ethics and the future of newsroom dynamics. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of AI and its implications for the freelance journalist's toolkit.
Before you all switch off completely wondering if I’ve taken leave of my senses, I should confess that these first three paragraphs were written by AI after I asked ChatGPT to write the opening of a newsletter on AI in journalism in the style of Freelancing for Journalists.
Those first three paragraphs are both well written but also complete nonsense, which brings us very nicely into this week’s actual topic - how vigilant should we be as freelance journalists to others trying to pull the wool over our eyes with AI?
FFJ member and freelance journalist Rosie Taylor warned this week that we need to be on our guard after putting out a #journorequest on a couple of personal finance stories and getting a series of quick, formulaic responses from experts that with a little bit more digging either did not seem to exist or were not who they were claiming to be.
“Any other journos encountered a fully AI PR before,” she asked on Twitter after pondering over the robotic responses she had got back that somehow just seemed a bit odd. Others responded they had had the same thing, including journalist Harriet Cooke who reports on finance which she described as “depressing but also terrifying”.
Not being able to quite put your finger on what was wrong with these quickly generated responses but having a gut feeling that they didn’t seem quite right is how other journalists described having the same experience.
Of course it is much better to pick up the phone (or hop on a video call if you have time) to actually speak to someone. Or just use your trusted contact book but sometimes you are seeking comment outside your usual patch, trying to widen the net of who you speak to or find an interesting case study. Knowing that AI generated PR responses may be being sent to your inbox is half the battle.
Vigilance is really key for a variety of reasons notes Taylor who had spent quite a bit of time trying to track down where these responses had come from. “I even asked them if these quotes had been generated by AI pointing out we could not use them in the newspaper but got no response.
“My concern as a journalist is that I didn’t even know this was a thing,” she explains. “It had never crossed my mind until I got this email. If I had put this fake quote in a national newspaper and it had been pointed out on Twitter, it undermines that publication, it undermines me and I’m never going to be commissioned by them again, and I can totally see how people could get tricked into using them.”
One thing you can be sure of, after this week’s experiment, is that this newsletter will never be written by AI!
Here’s our top tips on how to spot AI responses from real quotes:
Does a response echo back what you said rather than providing any real new insight?
Did you get more than one response that seems to fit a formula?
Can you imagine someone talking like this or does the writing appear too formal?
Did the quotes come through faster than it seemed possible for someone to gather them even if these are clients they “represent”.
When you reply, do you get a response? Can you find the person being quoted and does their online profile match with who they say they are? Can they have a quick chat?
Does the PR themselves have a profile and is it clear who they are?
The podcast is back!!!
Series 13 of the podcast is here everyone and this time we’re talking about how to diversify your income. Kicking off the series, we have Jamie Body and Beth Neil talking about how to become a part-time university lecturer to supplement your freelance income. They also talk about what’s in store for you if you do take on this type of work!
Find us at all the usual podcast places or click on the link below.
What’s coming up
We have revamped our four-week online course which we do in partnership with Journalism.co.uk and we start the next run on the 22nd April. If you are new to freelance journalism or want to boost your work and get lots of feedback, support and guidance as you go, this may be just what you’re looking for. Kickstart your freelance journalism career is one of the most reasonably priced courses out there and previous attendees have achieved commissions on the back of pitches they worked with us on in the Guardian, Metro, Runner’s World and EuroNews to name but a few.
To find out more and grab your place for April, click the button below. We should stress this can all be done in your own time, assignments are voluntary and the course also now includes live Q&A sessions.
Triumph of the week
ALCS money hitting our bank accounts of course
That feeling when
You get a response when you weren’t expecting one
We love to hear your feedback on everything we do, so feel free to drop us an email anytime at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Bye for now!