The Guardian / Margaret Sullivan
404 Media / Jason Koebler
Nieman Reports / Jon Marcus
Maine is becoming a laboratory for nonprofit news →“It also includes examples of how nonprofit media can be prone to the same pitfalls as for-profit properties absorbed by corporate chains, including budget cuts and watered-down content. Critics contend that coverage is sometimes so broadly focused that it doesn’t connect with local readers. Many express concerns about who’s paying the bills and with what motives. And there’s constant fear about the funding drying up.”
The Present Age / Parker Molloy
Spicy autocomplete: The L.A. Times outsources “balance” to algorithms →“According to Matt Hamilton, vice-chair of the LA Times Guild, these AI-generated responses are ‘unvetted by editorial staff,’ he said in a statement. It appears the AI content is being published without human review, which violates the most basic rule of using AI in journalism (if you must): always keep a human in the loop.”
New York Times / Mike Isaac
The return of Digg →“A.I. will also play a larger part in making Digg more accessible to users, Mr. Rose said. For instance, he said, a community of science-fiction enthusiasts could have their discussions translated into Klingon, the language used by the ‘Star Trek’ alien race of the same name. A.I. tools can also help reduce spam, misinformation and harassment, he said.”