[Commlist] CFP: Generative AI Age in Journalism: Unveiling Artificial Intelligence’s Potential and Challenges in the News Industry Worldwide

*Generative AI Age in Journalism: Unveiling Artificial Intelligence’s 
Potential and Challenges in the News Industry Worldwide*

  Link: https://bit.ly/GenerativeAIAgeJournalism 
<https://bit.ly/GenerativeAIAgeJournalism>.

*Guest Editors:*

*Allen Munoriyarwa*

/Department of Media Studies, University of Botswana/

/Department of Communication and Media, University of Johannesburg /

//*Mathias-Felipe de-Lima-Santos*

/Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam/

/Digital Media and Society Observatory (DMSO), Federal University of São 
Paulo (Unifesp)/

  D*eadlines: *

  * *Abstract Submission:* January 5th , 2024
  * *Paper Submission: *June 30th, 2024
  * *Expected Publication Date:* Q4 2024 – Q1/2025

  In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) 
technologies in journalism and media production has sparked a global 
transformation in the way information is gathered, produced, and 
disseminated (de-Lima-Santos & Ceron, 2021). The term AI broadly refers 
to a field of computer science methods “dedicated to replicating human 
intelligence" (Broussard et al., 2019, p. 673). These technologies offer 
new possibilities for enhancing news gathering, content generation, 
audience engagement, and data analysis. Furthermore, they possess 
immense capabilities and offer incredible promises of transformation to 
media and journalism. Moreover, the AI-driven journalism landscape has 
witnessed a remarkable boom in the development and utilization of 
generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E (Gondwe, 2023). 
The surge of generative AI has had a profound impact on news production, 
where AI algorithms can generate articles, summaries, and even assist in 
investigative reporting. These technologies have provided easy to use 
tools for media organizations in creating content at scale, automating 
repetitive tasks, and enhancing data analysis. While AI-driven 
journalism has garnered substantial attention and analysis in different 
media landscapes, there is a growing recognition of the unique 
implications, challenges, and opportunities posed by AI in the news 
industry worldwide (Broussard et al., 2019). This special issue aims to 
fill this knowledge gap by exploring the appropriation of AI 
technologies in news production across different media contexts.

The application of AI in different regions brings with it a set of 
complexities that necessitate in-depth investigation. For example, 
previous research has indicated that media professionals’ inclination 
toward AI skepticism in Africa is influenced by concerns about potential 
job cuts, the expenses associated with such deployment, inadequate 
training, ethical dilemmas surrounding these emerging technologies, and 
doubts regarding its effectiveness in the democratic process 
(Munoriyarwa et al., 2021). Conversely, Latin American practitioners 
hold mixed feelings, with both optimistic and pessimistic views about 
the application of AI in journalism. However, they mostly perceive such 
tools as an opportunity rather than as a threat (Soto-Sanfiel et al., 
2022). Within this rich tapestry, media and journalism play vital roles 
in shaping societies, enabling civic engagement, and reflecting the 
voices of marginalized communities across the world. The significant 
influence of AI deployment, as shaped by the dynamics among platforms, 
governments, and media, is also noteworthy worldwide. This power 
dynamics could lead to more influential actors gaining control over 
media production and information dissemination, consequently impacting 
the media ecosystem (de-Lima-Santos et al., 2023; Kuai et al., 2022).

Understanding the nuanced landscape of AI-enabled journalism requires 
considering a range of crucial factors. These include the vast 
linguistic diversity, with hundreds of languages spoken, making language 
processing and content personalization a unique challenge (Gondwe, 
2023). Cultural sensitivity is paramount, as news and information 
production must respect the values and norms of diverse societies, often 
vastly different across the world (Kothari & Cruikshank, 2022). 
Furthermore, each region faces specific challenges related to media 
sustainability, including economic constraints, political pressures, and 
issues of representation. While AI has the potential to address some of 
these challenges, its application is far from uniform (de-Lima-Santos et 
al., 2021). Local news ecosystems, for instance, play a vital role in 
their communities, and understanding how AI can strengthen local 
journalism while maintaining cultural relevance is of utmost importance.

This special issue seeks to shed light on these intricacies, explore the 
impact of AI on journalism and media moving beyond “North” and “South” 
dichotomy, and delve into the challenges and opportunities that arise of 
AI in news context. While countries in the Global North can actively 
experiment with AI solutions in their newsrooms (Jones & Jones, 2021; 
Pashevich, 2018; Stray 2021;), those in the Global South are often 
either playing catch-up or simply acting as recipients of the 
experiments conducted by these Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich 
and Democratic (WEIRD) nations. Thus, this special issue also aims to 
address the pressing concern of the “AI divide” across these regions, 
discussing the unequal access to AI technologies and knowledge, which 
can exacerbate existing (news production) inequalities within countries 
and across geographies. This can impose additional constraints on the 
global expansion of emerging technologies within the news media  (Jamil, 
2020). Understanding and mitigating this divide is a central concern, 
and this special issue will be a platform for scholarly inquiry and 
debates into these critical areas from a global perspective.

With an eye on bridging gaps, promoting inclusivity, and narrowing the 
AI divide, this special issue seeks to gather research and insights that 
can inform the future of AI-enabled journalism within the “North” or the 
“South” in socioeconomic and political terms. We invite contributions 
that address but are not limited to the following themes in the context 
of the AI and journalism:

  * *AI deployment:* Comparing the development of AI technologies in
    newsrooms worldwide.
  * *Generative AI*: Leveraging this technology across the entire news
    value chain, transforming traditional processes and enhancing
    various aspects of news production, distribution, and consumption,
    while also necessitating careful consideration of ethical, human,
    and editorial implications
  * *AI tools for news production*: Exploring the use of AI technologies
    in newsrooms, including automated content generation, sentiment
    analysis, and fact-checking.
  * *Ethical and societal implications*: Examining the ethical
    considerations and societal impacts of AI-driven journalism in
    culturally and politically diverse regions.
  * *AI for media sustainability:* Examining innovative AI applications
    that promote sustainability in media organizations, revenue models,
    and content creation.
  * *AI and indigenous knowledge:* Investigating how AI technologies can
    promote or affect indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage in
    media coverage.
  * *AI for disaster reporting:* Analyzing the use of AI tools in
    disaster reporting, early warning systems, and response efforts in
    disaster-prone regions.
  * *Audience engagement and personalization*: Investigating AI-driven
    strategies for audience engagement, content personalization, and the
    role of AI in addressing language diversity.
  * *Media capture and democratization*: Analyzing the influence of AI
    on media capture, control, and the democratization of information in
    the Global North and South.
  * *Platforms dependence*: Analyzing the influence of platforms on AI
    deployment in the news industry.
  * *AI, censorship, and freedom of expression:* Assessing the impact of
    AI on freedom of expression, censorship, and surveillance in
    politically sensitive environments.
  * *AI and local news ecosystems: *Understanding the potential of AI in
    strengthening local journalism and addressing issues of representation.
  * *AI in investigative reporting*: Exploring the application of AI in
    investigative journalism, data mining, and open-source intelligence.
  * *AI in fact-checking*: Exploring the application of AI in
    fact-checking practices.
  * *AI and data-driven storytelling*: Investigating how data journalism
    is advancing worldwide and the role of AI in helping these
    practices, such as extracting, analyzing, and visualizing data.
  * *AI and health communication:* Exploring the use of AI applications
    in health journalism, pandemic coverage, and the dissemination of
    public health information.
  * *AI and environmental and humanitarian communication:* Exploring the
    use of AI applications in environmental journalism, climate crises,
    and humanitarian action.
  * *AI literacy:* Investigating the role of AI literacy in the context
    of technological innovations and its impact on newsrooms.
  * *AI and inclusivity:* Exploring how AI technologies can enhance or
    suppress media inclusivity and accessibility for underserved
    communities, including issues of language, accessibility, and
    representation.
  * *AI divide*: Addressing disparities in AI access, knowledge, and
    impact in the Global South in comparison to Global North/Western,
    Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) countries.
  * *AI and power: *AI and power dynamics in newsrooms
  * *AI and journalistic role:* Global perceptions of journalistic roles
    in the age of AI
  * *AI and representations*: Exploring how AI represents North-South
    newsrooms, journalism, and media.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and exploring the 
dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence and journalism.

Follow the link here for more details: 
https://bit.ly/GenerativeAIAgeJournalism 
<https://bit.ly/GenerativeAIAgeJournalism>.

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