NEWS MANAGERS’ PERCEPTION OF AI ADOPTION IN US NEWSROOMS: A STUDY ON PROFESSIONALISM, JURISDICTION, CONTROL & AUTHORITY

Abstract

More and more professional journalists are now learning to adapt to changes AI adoption is bringing into their workplace and how they practice journalism. This study used the concepts of professionalism, jurisdiction, control and authority to conduct in-depth interviews with ten news managers to explore their perceptions on the adoption of AI in local newsrooms in the U.S. The study found that local newsroom managers perceived that without proper training, AI had the potential to erode professionalism standards in journalism and control over journalistic processes to wane. The findings also suggest that participants rejected the idea that AI could replace humans in journalism despite possibilities the jurisdiction to perform journalistic activities could be compromised as the technology continues to evolve. The study also found that although these news managers recognized AI as a tool in the newsroom, they were unwilling to share the authority with AI in framing the narrative.