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This Week in AI — 🗞️ A look at how journalists use AI
AI | Media Relations

This Week in AI — 🗞️ A look at how journalists use AI

May 13, 2025 | By: Dave Isaac

Each week we’ll gather headlines and tips to keep you current with how generative AI affects PR and the world at large. If you have ideas on how to improve the newsletter, let us know!

What You Should Know

 

A Periodic Check on How Journalists Use AI

Media relations hinges on knowing who you’re talking to, which is why it’s important for communicators to understand as much as possible about the reporters they work with. Journalists are skeptical by nature, so when ChatGPT burst into public view in November 2022, headlines mixed excitement with reserve. That balance has shaped coverage about AI and how newsrooms use the technology.

Recent research by the University of Copenhagen and the University of Chicago shows clear momentum in AI adoption across newsrooms: More than 70% of journalists say their organizations encourage or allow these tools, while 67% report saving time thanks to AI assistance. 

On the front lines, reactions diverge. Jason Koebler, Co-Founder of 404 Media, warns that relying on technology built by companies aiming to replace reporters carries its own hazards, telling Columbia Journalism Review, “we stand out by saying: ‘Hey, no one wants this!’” That’s certainly not an industry consensus, though. Axios Chief Technology Correspondent Ina Fried turns to AI-written transcripts from Otter for quick quote hunts and taps models from OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity to speed up background research. Many others told CJR they have found ways to save time and improve their reporting, too. 

As tools take on more routine tasks, the reporter’s judgment remains the true differentiator. Much like communicators, journalists can use AI without losing ownership of reporting or storytelling. Understanding how reporters perceive and use AI can open up new opportunities for connecting with and staying in front of them, and give you more insight into which story angles might connect. Even swapping stories about your own AI experiments can start conversations that deepen your relationship.

Elsewhere …

📑 Export your Deep Research reports

What’s happening: Yesterday, OpenAI announced a small change to its Deep Research feature: the ability to export reports as PDFs. If you scroll to the top of the report itself, there’s a share icon (not to be confused with the share button at the top-right corner of the page) where you can either generate a link for the report or download it as a PDF. The feature has already rolled out to Plus, Team, and Pro users, with Enterprise and Edu coming soon.

Why it matters: Copying and pasting isn’t always as simple as you’d think for these reports, especially if they include citations and tables. They often lose their formatting in word processors. However, you can still edit that content in a word processor, so make sure you ask for changes to the report if you need them before exporting (note that if the edits require a new report, it will cost you against the monthly limit).

Be aware: The format of Deep Research reports is pretty easy to spot, and it’s even easier in the PDF exports because there’s a big OpenAI logo in the header of the first page. These are best used internally.

Quote of the Week

“In 2023, we ran many pilots with GenAI. We learned from that how to implement solutions and what works best. In 2024, we implemented about a dozen generative GenAI solutions into our environment.

“I would say we are moving quickly, but cautiously. As a conservative company, we want to manage our risk around these things very well, so we want to be assured that we can do what we need to with the GenAI solution before rolling it out.”

— Ramnik Bajaj, Chief Data Analytics and AI Officer at USAA, in a Q&A with TechTarget on AI use

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