We welcome you to Digital Joynalism!
Hi,
My name is Sara Forni, AI Product Manager at Atex, and this is MyType, a newsletter dedicated to journalism, innovation and artificial intelligence.
Every fortnight we will explore a topic related to this evolving field to discover the pleasure to do journalism without repeating boring tasks and using technology as a helper, not a substitute. That's what we like to call ‘digital joynalism’.
If this mail was forwarded to you and you would also like to receive future releases, you can subscribe to MyType here. You can now also follow MyType on Linkedin, Instagram and Twitter.
Now, let's get started!
Welcome back!
It has been a few days since I last wrote here, but it’s been for a good reason.
As of last week, in fact, MyType is no longer just a newsletter, but it has become a brand, complete with its own dedicated website and social network. As a brand, our goal is to spread the culture of 'digital joynalism' a concept-value we have introduced and described in our Manifesto (by the way, we would love to know what you think about it!).
A CMS designed by journalists for journalists
On our website you can also book a demo to discover our first product: an all-in-one CMS that, among other things, has some built-in generative artificial intelligence features. This is not just a simple writing editor; rather, those who choose MyType CMS will have a tool that will accompany them along the entire news creation journey. From news gathering to production, distribution and finally monetization.
Will AI be our best colleague?
Returning to content and interesting experiences, on Thursday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending the event 'The Reality Factory - Journalism and Information in the Age of Generative AI' in Rome, organized by ANSA, the leading news agency in Italy and one of the most important internationally.
Some lessons learnt 💡
To deal with Generative AI and all the associated challenges, we will need the courage to overcome the so-called 'technology bias' which is the human tendency to passively accept the results produced by technology (e.g., we don't re-do the math to verify what the calculator says). As Mariarosaria Taddeo, professor of Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies at the Oxford Internet Institute, has well explained, the challenge with Gen AI will be to question what technology produces continuously and critically, to control it and at the same time improve it.
There is a need for journalism to take courage and become a protagonist in the process, rather than undergo it. How? Through transparency on content production. As Carlo Bartoli, president of the Order of Journalists in Italy, has well described, when I buy a bottle of milk at the supermarket, I demand that it shows provenance, type and nutritional values. Likewise, a news story should show the same degree of detail, specifying what procedures the journalist employed to write that article. Including, of course, the use of Generative AI.
As it always emerges in meetings where artificial intelligence and journalism are discussed, it is undeniable that Generative AI now is perceived as both a threat and an opportunity. It will therefore be up to newsrooms to learn how to govern the technology without being replaced by it.
To make the points above a reality, it will be crucial to invest in massive and ongoing training of individual journalists and newsrooms.
Stories & Tools
Telegraph journalists told use of ChatGPT will result in same sanctions as plagiarism
The JournalismAI festival will be held on December 5 and 6. And it is free.
AI Adoption for Newsrooms: A 10-Step Guide
The future of journalism is radical collaboration
The easiest way to transcribe your lengthy interviews
That's all for today!
There would be no 'digital joynalism' without sharing. If you like this newsletter you could share it with colleagues, friends and family :)
For any ideas, suggestions and thoughts on the subject, don't hesitate to email me at sforni@atex.com.
Have a good weekend,
Sara