Microsoft and OpenAI are collaborating with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism to offer $10 million in funding and enterprise credits to select media outlets for experimenting with AI tools in newsrooms. This initiative aims to drive business sustainability and innovation in local journalism through the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship program.
Participating Media Outlets
- Chicago Public Media
- The Minnesota Star Tribune
- Newsday (Long Island, NY)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer
- The Seattle Times
Funding and Support
Each participating outlet will receive:
- $2.5 million in cash
- $2.5 million in software and enterprise credits from both Microsoft and OpenAI
Fellowship Program
The fellowship will:
- Hire a two-year AI fellow for each outlet
- Focus on improving business sustainability and implementing AI technologies
- Provide OpenAI and Microsoft Azure credits for experimentation
Collaborative Efforts
The news organizations will work together to:
- Share learnings and product developments
- Develop case studies and technical information
- Help replicate successful projects in other newsrooms
Selected Projects
- Chicago Public Media: AI for transcription, summarization, and translation to expand content and reach new audiences.
- The Minnesota Star Tribune: AI summarization, analysis, and content discovery for journalists and readers.
- Newsday: AI tools for public data summarization and aggregation for newsrooms, readers, and businesses.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: AI platforms for a conversational search interface for archives and media monitoring.
- The Seattle Times: AI for advertising go-to-market strategies, sales training, and sales analytics.
Goals and Vision
The initiative aims to:
- Empower local newsrooms to explore and implement AI business solutions
- Uphold ethical standards while strengthening future prospects
- Promote AI use in creating a sustainable future for independent local journalism
Additional Information
- The program is supported by the Local Independent News Coalition (LINC), which includes eight of the largest independently owned metropolitan news organizations in the U.S.
- LINC is funded by the Lenfest Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Statements from Key Figures
- Jim Friedlich, CEO of The Lenfest Institute: Emphasized the importance of AI in supporting local news and sharing results with the broader industry.
- Tom Rubin, Chief of Intellectual Property and Content at OpenAI: Highlighted AI's potential to support smaller, independent publishers.
- Teresa Hutson, Corporate VP at Microsoft: Stressed the need for local journalism and AI's role in building a sustainable future for news organizations.
This initiative represents a significant step towards integrating AI into local journalism, aiming to enhance content creation, audience engagement, and business sustainability.
