When we published the JournalismAI report – New powers, new responsibilities – in 2019, we warned of the prospect of growing inequalities within the journalism industry. 

A few large organisations may benefit by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, with everyone else at risk of falling behind. Inequalities may grow between news organisations in emerging economies and those in more developed markets, but also between small news organisations and their larger counterparts.

So, this year, we made it our mission to do what we can to help bridge the gap, by designing targeted initiatives that might mitigate those growing inequalities. 

Today, we’re pleased to announce the launch of a new JournalismAI programme that aims to do just that: the AI Academy for Small Newsrooms.

The programme is designed by the JournalismAI team at Polis – the journalism think-tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science – and is powered by the Google News Initiative, which has been supporting JournalismAI since 2019. 

As its name suggests, the Academy is targeted at small newsrooms that want to learn how AI can be used to support their journalism. It will equip participants with the knowledge and capabilities they need to take the first concrete steps in their AI-adoption journey. 

The Academy is a FREE 6-week programme that will start in September 2021. Journalists and media professionals from small news organisations in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region can now apply to join the programme.

The course will be taught by a mix of working journalists, researchers, and media professionals who are leading the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence in the industry.

Participants will leave the Academy with a practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges offered by AI technologies, examples of successful implementation, and a co-created action plan to guide the development of AI projects in their news organisations.

Find more information about the programme, including dates and eligibility criteria, on the JournalismAI website. The deadline to apply for the Academy is August 1st, 2021, at 11:59 PM GMT. 

Any questions? Send us an email at hello@journalismai.info