When I first heard about the three-day workshop on using AI to empower journalists, organized by the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) in partnership with Voice of America (VOA), my reaction was a mix of curiosity and outright panic.
AI? Really? The same tech that could probably write my obituaries if I missed a deadline? My skepticism came hand-in-hand with my limited knowledge—namely ChatGPT, a handy tool but also, in my mind, the Pandora’s box of journalism. Little did I know, this workshop would completely redefine my understanding of AI’s role in journalism. Spoiler alert: I’m not writing my obituaries anytime soon.
Day 1: Fear and Loathing in the Land of Algorithms
The first day felt like stepping into an alternate universe where AI wasn’t the villain stealing my job but a colleague with endless potential. I was introduced to tools like Vox PR, which made curating multimedia press kits feel like less of a chore and more of a creative endeavor. Then there was NotebookLM, Google’s AI assistant for organizing research. If I could bottle the moment I realized it could summarize my entire notebook into actionable insights, I’d sell it as “Confidence in a Jar.”
But let’s not sugarcoat this: the transition wasn’t easy. As a journalist, my default reaction to anything “too easy” is suspicion. If AI could assemble a press kit in minutes, what else could it do? Write my next feature? Host my show? Replace me entirely?
Day 2: Meeting My Future Colleagues—Julius and Streamyard
By Day 2, I realized AI wasn’t here to push me out of the newsroom but to sit at the desk next to me. Tools like Julius redefined how I think about influencer collaboration. Its database of social media influencers made it easier to tailor stories that resonate with diverse audiences. Streamyard was another revelation, offering a seamless way to host live interviews and produce broadcast-quality streams from anywhere.
The humor of the day came when I asked, “Can AI fix my terrible Wi-Fi?” The facilitator laughed, “Not yet, but give it time.”
Day 3: From Chaos to Automation Bliss with Make.com
By the final day, my AI arsenal included make.com, a tool that turns mind-numbing tasks into automated workflows. If I had known earlier that I could automate everything from email follow-ups to social media scheduling, I might have saved years of my life. Or at least gained a full eight hours of sleep during election coverage.
The workshop ended with an inspirational reminder: AI isn’t here to replace journalists; it’s here to empower us. We’re still the storytellers, the investigators, the truth-seekers. AI is just the Swiss Army knife in our pocket, ready to sharpen our craft.
A Future Worth Writing
As I left the workshop, I felt hopeful. AI didn’t just simplify my work; it amplified it. I’m no longer just a journalist but a journalist with superpowers (and a slightly less cluttered desk). While my initial fear of AI was understandable, I’ve come to see it not as an enemy but as an ally. Now, the only thing I fear is running out of coffee.
So here’s to the future—a future where journalists and AI work hand-in-hand to create stories that inform, inspire, and change the world.
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Have you embraced AI in your work yet? Don’t let fear hold you back—explore the tools, experiment, and evolve. The future is now, and trust me, it’s worth writing about.
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