AI and accountability
Chris Quinn, the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, struck a nerve over the weekend with a column about how some journalism schools are instilling in students a fear of artificial intelligence rather than teaching them how to use it effectively. His example was a recent J-school grad who withdrew from consideration for a reporting role because of how the paper uses AI in its work.
The reaction from journalists on social media was sharp, especially when it came to Quinn’s description of how his newsroom has an “AI rewrite specialist” that turns some reporters’ interviews and research into story drafts, allowing them to focus more fully on reporting.
The column sparked an industry-wide conversation on the role of AI in newsrooms. At the American Press Institute, we believe AI can play a constructive role when it is used ethically, supervised by humans and when leaders are transparent with readers about how it is being used.
While Quinn should be applauded for his transparency, his case against journalism education was anecdotal and full of unsupported generalizations, and he failed to explain to readers how using AI improves the journalism.
Teaching students to question how AI is used, who controls it and how it affects authorship and accountability is core journalism training, said API executive director Robyn Tomlin. That work is preparation for the future, not resistance to it.
In his column, Quinn noted that the newsroom’s AI usage freed up resources “by removing writing from reporters’ workloads.” But the writing process is often where critical thinking occurs and where a reporter’s assumptions are tested.
“Writing is how journalists test their thinking and surface gaps in their reporting,” Tomlin said. “When early-career reporters are denied the opportunity to write — and to struggle with writing — they lose a critical part of their professional formation.”
Quinn was careful to describe how humans are involved in editing and fact-checking, and how they “control every step.”
Even so, the reaction of journalists shows just how explosive this topic remains in the profession — and the kind of backlash news leaders can face as they explore new ways to use the powerful technology in their work.
“News leaders should strive to make a compelling case to readers — the people journalism exists to serve — for how the use of AI improves the journalism they receive,” Tomlin said. “Simply saying it frees up time does not show how AI meaningfully improves accuracy, depth or trust. Efficiency alone is not a journalistic value.”
