How News Organizations Inform Their Readers of the Use of AI

Abstract

The journalism and the media landscape is facing increasing challenges as the wave of new digital technology and machine learning enters the news sphere. This study examines how media outlets inform their readers about AI and their use of AI, and further looks into whether these outlets maintain ethical guidelines regarding AI. A content analysis of the top 100 print news organizations and the top 50 online news outlets within the U.S. was conducted to identify codes of ethics, AI codes of ethics, and the use and restrictions of AI within the news organization. Results indicate that very few news organizations include language or ethical codes regarding the use of AI within news production and publication. Within the context of ethical guidelines in journalism, this finding suggests a need for further codes of ethics surrounding the topic of AI to be adopted by more news organizations. These findings contribute to the existing literature and media landscape research by illustrating how exactly AI in the news process is being understood by both news organizations and readers. They also have implications for policymakers and media organizations seeking to regulate use and restrictions of AI within the media.