Poynter Institute Updates AI Ethics Guidelines for Newsrooms
The Poynter Institute has released an updated version of its “starter kit” for newsrooms to create their own ethics policies for using artificial intelligence in journalism. The new update, published more than a year after the initial guidelines, includes additional information for visual journalism and product development in newsrooms.
Alex Mahadevan, Poynter faculty member and MediaWise director, highlighted that one of the main concerns from newsrooms was how to handle AI use in visual teams and product development. “One of the biggest things we heard over the last year was, the editorial guidelines are great, but what do your visual teams do? What is allowed there?” Mahadevan said. The updated guidelines address these concerns by including a new section on considerations for using AI in visual work.
Key Considerations for AI in Visual Journalism
The guidelines caution that “the use of visual generative AI tools exposes newsrooms to the most risk in regards to audience trust, and should be discussed in depth at your newsroom.” They emphasize the importance of:
- Human coverage as the preferred option when possible
- Accuracy over aesthetics
- No manipulation of real people and events
The toolkit doesn’t prescribe a specific approach to AI use but helps newsrooms create a formal ethics policy based on their comfort level with certain uses and how they’ll communicate that to their audience.
Operationalizing AI in Newsrooms
Kelly McBride, Poynter senior vice president, noted that many newsrooms are now moving from experimental AI use to integrating it into their workflows. “Many newsrooms are now doing tiny experiments, and many more are contemplating adding AI to their workflows,” McBride said. The guidelines emphasize transparency, fairness, human oversight, and audience trust when operationalizing AI.
Addressing Potential Biases
The update also addresses the potential for AI to create echo chambers or reinforce existing biases. Mahadevan mentioned that the guidelines suggest “breaking the bubble” when designing personalization features to expose audiences to a broad range of stories and viewpoints.
Implementing the Guidelines
While the starter kit is comprehensive, McBride assured that it takes only “a couple of hours” for a small group of journalists to fill in the guidelines and create a newsroom policy. To help news organizations share their ethics policies with their audiences, Poynter has also created a public-facing document that explains their AI use in a digestible format.
The Poynter Institute continues to expand its work on AI ethics, including training options and consulting services for newsrooms. As AI becomes more integral to journalism, the updated guidelines provide a valuable resource for news organizations navigating the ethical challenges of AI adoption.
