Digest | Week of October 28th, 2024 - Ethics and Journalism

AI Models Falter Answering Election Questions in Spanish

Oct 30, 2024 | Emily Elena Dugdale, Rina Palta, and Rafael Olavarría | Factchequeado

"Using AI testing software and methodology designed by the AI Democracy Projects, we asked the same 25 election questions in both languages, and found that 52 percent of the responses to Spanish queries contained inaccurate information compared to 43 percent of responses to queries in English."

Why did a Canadian paper name the Washington Post’s anonymous sources?

October 29, 2024 | Jon Allsop | Columbia Journalism Review

The Globe's decision to name the sources from the Post was unusual and sparked debate among journalists, with some viewing it as a breach of professional courtesy, while others argued it highlighted inconsistencies in the Trudeau government's handling of sensitive information.

New tuition-free training program for community media at the Newmark J-School: The AI Community Engagement Lab

October 24, 2024 | Newmark J-School Staff | Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

The new six-month program, which offers biweekly virtual classes and hands-on workshops, is "designed to empower community journalists with artificial intelligence tools and techniques and enhance audience engagement." Applications close December 6.

Medill State of Local News Report 2024

October 23, 2024 | Zach Metzger | Northwestern Medill Local News Initiative

From the third installment of Medill’s annual State of Local News Report: "The loss of local newspapers is continuing at an alarming pace, deepening the local news crisis and further depriving people of information they need to make informed decisions. Local news deserts are spreading. A furious pace of mergers and acquisitions is underway, as many longtime newspaper owners bail, and regional chains capitalize on opportunities. Meanwhile, the number of standalone digital local news sites has continued to grow."

Use these checklists to support your team on Election Day

October 21, 2024 | Lily Chapa | American Press Institute

The American Press Institute compiles resources for on-the-ground reporters on protecting digital and physical safety, debunking misinformation, answering voter questions, and understanding legal rights on Election Day.

News Literacy in America: A survey of teen information attitudes, habits and skills (2024)

October 21, 2024 | News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project's 2024 report finds that teens struggle to differentiate between news, advertisement, entertainments, and ads, are skeptical of the press's value to democracy, and want more media literacy education taught in schools. Read the rest of there findings in full 101-page report.