{"id":9527,"date":"2025-12-11T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/cnti-news\/\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T17:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T22:59:38","slug":"ai-for-sustainability-building-journalisms-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/event-outtakes\/ai-for-sustainability-building-journalisms-future\/","title":{"rendered":"AI for Sustainability: Building Journalism\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is a joint publication from the Center for News, Technology and Innovation and Thomson Media.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 28 and 29, 2025, the Center for News, Technology and Innovation and Thomson Media brought together more than 35 journalists, product specialists and newsroom leaders from the Western Balkans and Central Europe in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for \u201cJournalism and AI: Building Resilient Newsrooms for the Future<\/a>\u201d \u2014 the second collaboration between the organizations. Over the course of two days, participants shared their struggles and successes integrating AI into their work, took master classes on AI prompt engineering and contemplated the question, \u201cHow do we harness AI\u2019s power to build a strong future for our work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer that emerged was both multifaceted and promising. The journalists in this region are leaning in and figuring out what works best and what does not work for them and their audiences, and what they can learn from each other \u2014 and they often are managing with only small budgets and staff sizes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point during the workshop, CNTI Chair Craig Forman explained, \u201cI wrote for the Wall Street Journal when I was a foreign correspondent, 30-ish years ago on the eve of the breakup of Yugoslavia.\u201d He continued, \u201cI bring that up, not to bring any ill will or bad memories, but to say that when I [was reporting in the region], it was unthinkable that we might be here today. Unthinkable. And as you all know, we have to think about the unthinkable, not only in the bad way, but in the good way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Craig Forman (Photo: Kayla Goodson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Forman\u2019s words resonated deeply in a city once synonymous with war reporting but now hosting a discussion about how technology could safeguard truth and foster resilience in newsrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AI Will Not Take Journalists\u2019 Jobs, But Someone Who Uses AI Will<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

David Caswell, drawing on years of experience developing AI storytelling systems, kicked off the workshop with a powerful and straightforward insight: “We should take AI seriously because the trajectory of improvements has been radical.\u201d He continued, \u201cThe effect of [AI investment] will be significant.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t about jumping on every technological bandwagon or tacking the latest tool onto one\u2019s current product. It’s about recognizing that structured storytelling models and AI-assisted workflows represent a practical evolution in how newsrooms operate. The question isn’t whether AI will change journalism, but whether journalism will adapt intelligently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left to right: David Caswell, Amy Mitchell and Marius Dragomir (Photo: Kayla Goodson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Niamh Burns from Enders Analysis said, \u201cAI will undoubtedly change how news is created, distributed, noticed and funded. This is really a moment where you [journalists] should all be thinking about what your value add is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These aren’t abstract problems for newsrooms in Sarajevo, Belgrade or Pristina. They’re immediate challenges that require practical solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sami K\u00e7iku, a project manager at the independent news company Koha Group in Kosovo, shared that his newsroom was initially fearful of AI. Several other participants voiced similar stories of journalists worried they would be replaced by AI and, therefore, reluctant to try out new technology, with generational divides also at play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

K\u00e7iku offered the simple yet disarming advice that he gave to his team: \u201cYou won\u2019t be replaced by AI, but you will be replaced by someone who uses AI.\u201d Koha has since implemented a custom GPT to improve SEO and social media practices, and they use an external AI tool for transcription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Journalists Must Begin to See Themselves as Innovators<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As newsrooms attempt to address the tension between embracing AI and fearing it, Caswell recommended a calm but intentional approach of \u201cinnovation, adoption, diffusion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important that innovation comes from collaboration between the editorial and product teams, and, as Burns pointed out, innovation should prioritize measurable success instead of bandwagon adoption. Nikola Ba\u010di\u0107, editor-in-chief at Hercegovina Info, shared that his team has one AI meeting every week, where the editorial staff meets with the IT staff to discuss needs and potential solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a tool is created, newsrooms must take the time to properly train the entire staff on a technology to ensure they have the skills needed to adopt the AI tool, if they so choose. Tatjana Sekulic, an executive multimedia producer at N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told the group that uptake at her outlet is mixed; some journalists are completely against AI, while others are overly reliant on it. As a result, the newsroom has implemented training for everyone to ensure they all have the skills to use AI responsibly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to teach them how to use AI in the proper way,\u201d Sekulic said. \u201cWe\u2019re investing in our knowledge and our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tatjana Sekulic (Photo: Kayla Goodson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, following implementation, it is important to continue conversations to diffuse broader adoption of the technology. Veronika Munk, director of innovations at Denn\u00edk N in Slovakia, explained that while full newsroom training sessions did not always achieve the desired impact for her team, they still provided useful insights. Over time, the organization found that complementing these larger trainings with a more targeted approach worked better. When Denn\u00edk N introduces a new tool, they now focus on training smaller groups within the team or on one-on-one micro-trainings. These trained editors and reporters can then gradually share their knowledge with other colleagues. She also emphasized that the organization\u2019s use of AI always involves human oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While participants responded to this discussion with enthusiasm, some relayed concerns about the cost of implementing AI tools in newsrooms with already thin budgets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damjan Dano, a tech entrepreneur from North Macedonia, explained that creating customized AI tools is not the only option; instead, there are a plethora of existing, inexpensive AI tools that newsrooms can use to support their work. Dano led participants through an exercise where they laid out their AI wish lists, and he shared a variety of existing tools that could be a solution to some of their needs. Frase, for example, can help with SEO optimization, and Asana AI can help manage newsroom workflows.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI is a great tool, not your substitution,\u201d he reminded participants. \u201cYour job is safe, but you have to use the tools that exist today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left to right: Kaja Puto and Damjan Dano (Photo: Kayla Goodson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These discussions came with a crucial caveat: Journalism\u2019s future depends on \u201cadaptability, but not at the expense of ethics,\u201d Caro Kriel, chief executive of Thomson Foundation, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ethics and Audience Relations Must Be a Core Part of Newsrooms\u2019 AI Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another key theme over the two days of discussions was that AI should augment human judgment, not replace it. Newsrooms need to ensure their use of AI is driven by the values and ethics they espouse. It should enable and empower journalists to do their best work, to report relevant, important news and to deliver it to audiences effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marius Dragomir, director of the Media and Journalism Research Center, reminded participants that technology questions are never just technical. They’re about values, accountability and the social contract between journalists and their audiences. Every AI implementation carries an ethical weight that newsrooms must acknowledge and address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe trust of our audience is our highest value. To preserve this trust, we must be honest and transparent,\u201d Vesna Ivanovska-Ilievska, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Umno.mk<\/a>, said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left to right: Branislava Lovre and Ilcho Cvetanoski (Photo: Kayla Goodson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a session on AI, ethics and trust, Branislava Lovre, co-founder of AImpactful, noted that newsrooms can increase audience trust by communicating about their uses of AI clearly and effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As CNTI\u2019s global AI Research Working Group has written<\/a>, there is not one rule book or exact labeling technique that newsrooms should follow. Instead, audiences, like journalists, are still getting used to AI. What matters most is that journalists and their organizations are transparent about their use of AI and carry out a dialogue with audiences about what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not enough to simply have an AI policy or guideline, Erjon Curraj, a digital transformation expert from Albania, cautioned. Newsrooms must implement these policies consistently and ensure their staff is aware of them, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about disclosure,\u201d Lovre concluded. \u201cThis is our unique chance to lead by example. Social media networks are overwhelmed by AI-generated content, and if we don\u2019t try to explain to our audience what is happening, we won\u2019t be in a good place in one or two years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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