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JournalismAI’s Tshepo Tshabalala on practical AI use cases for small newsrooms

On this week’s episode of Media Voices we hear from Tshepo Tshabalala, project manager & team lead at the LSE’s JournalismAI project.

 

On this week’s episode of Media Voices we hear from Tshepo Tshabalala, project manager & team lead at the LSE’s JournalismAI project. I first met Tshepo on a newsrewired panel and was struck by the practical approach the project was taking to AI adoption, so we avoided talking about whether AI was going to take all our jobs and focused on how the JournalismAI project was helping newsrooms get started with the emerging tech.

Tshepo joined the JournalismAI project just three months after ChatGPT hit the headlines. Some might call that perfect timing; for others it would be a nightmare, with the playing field changing week by week. He’s taken it all in his stride, however, telling me, “It was a rollercoaster… trying to learn the job, trying to understand the field and understand who the players are, also serving our audience and our users that need help. But growth doesn’t happen in a comfortable space.”

Knowledge sharing is at the heart of everything the JournalismAI project does, from the JournalismAI Starter Pack, designed to help news organisations understand the opportunities offered by AI, to the 2023 JournalismAI report surveying 105 newsrooms in 46 countries. Tshepo says, “It’s really just sharing knowledge, and then with the hope that they can decide thereafter, what they do with that knowledge.”


 

Condé Nast CEO says business missed revenue goal in 2023

Condé Nast posted flat revenue gains year-over-year in 2023, CEO Roger Lynch told Axios in an interview.

Roger Lynch’s journey to making Condé Nast profitable continues. ‘Flat revenue gains’ don’t make the most positive headline, but seen in the broader context of the magazine industry’s struggles to survive, flat is the new up. Lynch told Axios that moving to a place where the company is consistently breaking even has helped it invest in growth areas – digital and events – that will help drive a more sustainable business long-term.



 

177 speakers you need at your next journalism event to avoid all-male panels

Let’s relegate all-male panels to the Mad Men era where they belong

International Women’s Day might only come round once a year, but the patriarchy needs smashing 24/7. This list of 177 women and non-binary journalists, editors, and executives would be brilliant speakers for your next media event. Do the world a favour and make media less like me.


 

“This is just weird”: BuzzFeed News’ former royals reporter on Kate Middleton, Palace PR, and distrust in the media

“I cannot emphasise enough how out of character it is that a royal press team went on the record in response to what is essentially gossip.”

I doubt I’d notice if the British Royal Family was transported overnight back to their home planet. That said, this story is fascinating. Former BuzzFeed News correspondent Ellie Hall offers insight into how social media has actually forced Royal Press Offices to go on the record (what a concept) and wrecked public trust in both the Royals and the people who cover them. Looks like Nick Witchell is getting out just in time.


More from Media Voices

 

The Economist’s Nada Arnot on why publishers should be running more brand campaigns

Nada Arnot tells us about how the news-focused magazine is seeking to attract younger readers, why she believes long-term brand building is vital in today’s news ecosystem, and the future plans for marketing The Economist.

 

Media Briefs: Democratising AI for publishers

Identifying a use case for AI is usually the biggest roadblock. But the tools also need to be available for publishers to support their revenue streams.

 

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