{"id":10527,"date":"2026-02-17T10:25:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/cnti-news\/\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T09:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:50:36","slug":"newsroom-policies-for-ai-in-journalism-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/reports\/newsroom-policies-for-ai-in-journalism-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsroom Policies for AI in Journalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AI governance is a complex ecosystem, incorporating policy instruments ranging from global compacts and legally binding domestic regulation to best practice standards and industry guidelines.1<\/a><\/sup> In December 2025, CNTI published a review of 188 governmental policy instruments<\/a> and their impact on journalism, with a primary focus on legally binding legislation in various states of approval.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In parallel, CNTI\u2019s AI and Journalism Research Working Group reviewed the state of research on AI governance within newsrooms, including research on ethical implications and newsroom policy development for other emerging technologies. This briefing synthesizes 30 recent research papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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This is the third in a series of reports from the AI and Journalism Research Working Group convened by the Center for News, Technology & Innovation<\/a> (CNTI). The working group<\/a> currently consists of 18 cross-industry members from around the world, bringing research, journalism and technology expertise to the discussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of the working group is to offer succinct summaries of global research in specific topics at the intersection of journalism and AI. Each quarter, the working group synthesizes the state of research across two to three topics for journalism practitioners, researchers and industry leaders around the world, focusing on actionable recommendations for journalism \u2014 not other fields that are concerned with AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In each report, we lay out the general findings of the research to date, considerations and\/or actions for practitioners and areas where more or new research is needed. This report was prepared by the research and professional staff of CNTI in partnership with several external contributors who collectively authored this briefing. If you have ideas or research findings that are important for CNTI and the working group to include, please email them to info@cnti.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we mean by \u201cAI\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report uses the OECD definition<\/a>: \u201cAn AI system is a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wherever possible, we try to use specific terms rather than \u201cAI\u201d to avoid conflation or confusion. Journalism has been adopting forms of automation for more than 50 years,3<\/a><\/sup> but widespread use of the term \u201cAI\u201d is more recent \u2014 and may include both newer technologies and those that have been in use for quite some time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Newsroom Policies Impacting AI in Journalism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Several studies show that while AI is being used in newsrooms, formal codification within newsrooms and professional societies is not yet universal, and there are still barriers to implementing AI policies.4<\/a><\/sup> The working group reviewed 30 research articles addressing AI governance impacts on journalism, including policies developed by newsrooms and press associations, technology companies and governments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The speed of research is slower than the speed of policy development, which in turn lags behind technological development: it may well be that newsrooms have updated, added or advanced internal policies since these papers were published. Nonetheless, the takeaways and cautions from this research are still valuable, especially as journalists continue to develop policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Findings<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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