Berrow’s Worcester Journal, part of the UK’s second-largest regional news publisher, has employed ‘AI-assisted’ reporters, joining several other papers in doing so
On October 7, 1779, a letter disputed a published account in Berrow’s Worcester Journal, stating, “To the printer, I take the liberty of informing you and the public that the account of a melancholy accident happening to a poor man at Evesham which was inserted in your last paper is utterly devoid of foundation.”
The reported incident of a man falling into a vat of boiling ale was, in fact, significantly exaggerated and based on an anonymous tip. Now, the journal, claiming to be the oldest surviving newspaper globally, introduces a state-of-the-art approach to aid reporters in verifying facts outside the office: artificial intelligence.
Founded in 1690 and currently a free sheet incorporating content from the Worcester News, the journal is among various publications within the UK’s second-largest regional news publisher to enlist “AI-assisted” journalists for covering local news.
Newsquest, the publisher of over 200 titles including the Glasgow Herald, the Brighton and Hove Argus, and the Lancashire Telegraph, has recruited eight “AI-assisted” reporters in various newsrooms nationwide over the past year.
These AI reporters utilize an in-house copywriting tool based on ChatGPT technology, an advanced chatbot that extracts information from text on the internet. Reporters input routine yet essential “trusted content,” such as minutes from a local council planning committee, and the tool transforms it into concise news reports following the publisher’s style.
With the AI-assisted reporter handling routine content, other reporters in the newsroom can allocate time to attend court sessions, engage with councillors, or cover local events like village fetes, notes Stephanie Preece, the editor of Worcester News.
AI can’t be present at a crash site, in court, or in a council meeting; it can’t visit a grieving family or assess someone’s honesty through eye contact. All it does is liberate reporters to engage more in these tasks,” she states. “Instead of avoiding or fearing it, we embrace AI as a permanent part of our toolkit—so how can we make the most of it?”
She emphasizes that Newsquest’s tool doesn’t autonomously generate content. Instead, a trained journalist inputs information into the tool, which is then edited and adjusted as necessary by a news editor. This approach aims to steer clear of ChatGPT’s reputation for occasional inaccuracies.
In a recent discussion with the Press Gazette, Newsquest’s CEO, Henry Faure Walker, highlighted the significant value brought by the introduction of an AI-assisted role at the Hexham Courant in Northumberland in September. The town gained national attention when the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall was vandalized.
“The AI system reporter could essentially manage the workload for the week, covering the paper. This allowed the other reporter to delve into truly impactful investigative work, create videos, and explore the story in depth, which would otherwise be challenging. We are proceeding cautiously,” he remarked.
Jody Doherty-Cove, the Head of Editorial AI at Newsquest, acknowledges concerns about AI in journalism but emphasizes the presence of multiple safeguards at Newsquest, including comprehensive training and a newly established code of conduct.
Recently, a journalist received the group’s inaugural response to a freedom of information request generated by AI, seeking details about the expenses related to tea and biscuits provided at council meetings. While a reporter proposed the idea, the AI generated the letter and identified the appropriate email address for sending it.
Doherty-Cove anticipates that the widespread and uncontroversial use of AI as a newsroom tool will become a norm in the future. “In the future, the term AI-system reporter will be as obsolete as the term internet-assisted reporter sounds now,” he asserts. “The internet has assisted journalists in finding information and crafting more insightful stories, and AI offers those benefits as well.”
In June, the Guardian established its generative AI principles, pledging to employ the technology with caution and care. Furthermore, in September, the Guardian prohibited OpenAI from utilizing its content to fuel artificial intelligence products like ChatGPT.
This week, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging an attempt to “free-ride on the Times’s massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment.” OpenAI responded, expressing surprise and disappointment, emphasizing its respect for the rights of content creators and owners, especially after engaging in discussions with the Times.
Local journalists, grappling with reduced numbers, overwhelming workloads, and inadequate compensation, can benefit from every available resource. Over the past year, Reach, the publisher overseeing titles like the Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News, Mirror, and Express, has endured several rounds of painful layoffs, shedding 800 positions.
Reach stirred controversy earlier in the year by testing AI for news article writing, including publishing pieces like “Seven Things to do in Newport.” Despite this, CEO Jim Mullen assured journalists that job cuts were unrelated to AI and emphasized that they need not fear being replaced by machines.
Despite these assurances, the decline in the number of reporters and local publications persists. According to data from the Charitable Journalism Project, there are likely fewer local newspapers in the UK than at any time since the 18th century. The long-standing decline has sharply accelerated, with over 320 local titles shutting down between 2009 and 2019 as advertising revenues plummeted by approximately 70%.
To avoid becoming another casualty in this trend, Berrow’s Worcester Journal must uphold its tradition of adaptation, according to Editor Stephanie Preece. She acknowledges the transient nature of a newspaper editor’s role and stresses the importance of embracing change to navigate the evolving media landscape.
