This five-part Advanced AI course is for journalists who want to move beyond basic prompting and start applying AI to real reporting: documents, data, social, automation and global case studies. It is practical, newsroom-focused and honest about the limitations as well as the opportunities.
Session 1: AI and Documents – Finding stories in the pile (NotebookLM and Pinpoint) with Clare Spencer
This session covers how AI can support core reporting skills when working with documents, transcripts and background material. It’s led by Clare Spencer, Reporter for Generative AI in the Newsroom, Northwestern University, USA
- Find tip-offs from an overwhelming number of documents (especially when you don’t know what you are looking for)
- Quote retrieval from your own interviews and searching your own archive
- Examples of newsrooms who have published their Notebooks
Date: Wed April 15
Time: 12.30-1.30pm BST
Session 2: Finding stories in data using AI with Paul Bradshaw
You’ll explore where AI tools can genuinely help with analysis, extraction and transformation and how to find a treasure trove of stories buried in datasets. It’s led by Paul Bradshaw, who is a Data Journalist for BBC.
- How AI can be used with datasets
- Designing formulae and other language challenges
- Using AI to create data: quantifying, extracting, translating and classifying
Date: Wed April 22
Time: 12.30-1.30pm BST
Session 3: AI for Social – Scripts, captions and making it sound like you with Tristan Werkmeister
You’ll look at practical ways to turn reporting into platform-ready scripts and captions, while learning how to spot when AI output is generic, off-brand or just wrong. The session will be led by Tristan Werkmeister, Social Media Reporter at Reuters.
- Turn any story into a social media video-ready script using AI in minutes
- Write captions that actually perform, with AI doing the heavy lifting
- Know when AI gets it wrong and how to make it sound like you
Date: Wed April 29
Time: 12.30-1.30pm BST
Session 4: Building AI agents to make you a better journalist with Parvathi Subbiah
Learn how AI agents can strengthen day-to-day reporting, from building simple tools that handle repetitive newsroom tasks to understanding where they genuinely save time without compromising editorial judgement. The session will be led by Parvathi Subbiah, Tech Lead, AI Lab at The Economist.
- What are agents and demo of building one
- Showcasing one she’s made nicknamed NewsBot
- What could you use agents for to genuinely save you time
Date: Wed May 6
Time: 12.30-1.30pm BST
Session 5: What are journalists around the world doing with AI? With Cecilia Campbell
Get inspired by how newsrooms around the world are using AI and automation in practice, from reshaping content production to using local data to better serve their communities. The session will be led by Cecilia Campbell, Senior Strategy Advisor at United Robots.
- AI and automation in content production: newsroom approaches and red lines (Scandinavia, the US)
- How AI + local data can fill information gaps – international use cases
- Examples of how local newsrooms use AI to do more for – and in – their communities
Date: TUESDAY May 12
Time: 12.30-1.30pm BST
