Category Archives: AI

Data journalism in the UK 2024 election: a numbers game

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Bar chart: Case studies were used in only four of 50 articles by data journalists during the election More than half of articles had no original quotes at all.

Data journalism during the election lacked case studies and quotes from those outside of the Westminster bubble, according to an analysis of over 50 pieces published during the election campaign.

But the rare exceptions offer examples of how we can do better election data journalism which sets the agenda and gives voters a louder voice.

Read the full analysis here. It is part of UK Election Analysis 2024: Media, Voters and the Campaign, a publication which “captures the immediate thoughts, reflections and early research insights on the 2024 UK General Election from the cutting edge of media and politics research.”

The analysis can also be compared to previous reflections in 2015 and 2010.


Investigative journalism and ChatGPT: using generative AI for story ideas

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Applications of genAI in the journalism process Pyramid with the bottom 'pre-production' layer highlighted: Idea generation and stimulation: identify and map systems and rules, apply brainstorming frameworks (iceberg model, 5 whys, 8 angles of data journalism). Planning.
Generative AI can be used at all points in the journalism process: this post focuses on pre-production

Last week I delivered a session at the Centre for Investigative Journalism Summer School about using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini for investigations. In the first of a series of posts from the talk, here are my tips on using those tools for idea generation.

Generative AI tools may not be entirely reliable, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not useful. Journalism, after all, is about more than just gathering information: reporters also need to generate story ideas, identify and approach potential sources, plan ahead, write and edit stories and solve a range of technical challenges. All of these are areas where genAI can help.

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VIDEO: AI in journalism: machine learning and natural language processing

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Machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are two forms of artificial intelligence that have been used for years within journalism. In this video, part of a series of video posts made for students on the MA in Data Journalism at Birmingham City University, I explain how both technologies have been used in journalism, the challenges that journalists face in using them, and the various concepts and jargon you will come across in the field.

PS: The MA courses at BCU have an open day this month: you can register here.

The examples mentioned in the video include:

Investigative journalism’s AI challenges: accuracy and bias, explainability and resources

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screenshots of guidelines on AI

Having outlined the range of ways in which artificial intelligence has been applied to journalistic investigations in a previous post, some clear challenges emerge. In this second part of a forthcoming book chapter, I look at those challenges and other themes: from accuracy and bias to resources and explainability.

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