ONA Weekly #526: Lessons On AI From India’s Recent Elections

Last call for everyone planning to be at ONA24: Today, Aug. 28, is the final opportunity to book a discounted room in ONA’s hotel block at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. For group reservations of 10 or more people being held by one credit card, contact heidi.gohlinghorst@hyatt.com.

Lessons on AI from India’s recent elections

Wherever there are elections, misinformation is a real concern. Add in AI-powered tools, and some would say we’re headed for disaster. Join your ONA peers on Thursday, Sept. 5, to hear what lessons newsrooms around the world can learn from India’s recent elections and the Deepfakes Analysis Unit—a unique resource and collaboration to address AI-generated misinformation in audio and video content. This event is free and open to all, regardless of ONA membership. Register now.

In news you might have missed: We continue to expand the types of resources we offer through the AI in Journalism Initiative, and most recently researched specific use cases in 10 newsrooms in the U.S., Germany, Sweden and elsewhere. Sign up to get case studies from AI in the Newsroom in your inbox every Tuesday.

How to join ONA’s board

ONA’s Board of Directors have a unique opportunity to guide the organization’s strategic direction and help shape journalism innovation that will propel growth and sustainability in the industry. Nominations to seats for the 2025-26 term are due Friday, Aug. 30. Learn how to join the board or nominate a colleague.

“Many of us are still here in journalism because of her”

Congratulations to the inimitable Benét J. Wilson—aka Aunt Benét—for being honored with the 2024 ONA Community Award. Each year this award honors an individual or small team that has created inclusive working environments that enable their colleagues to deliver game-changing journalism. Honorees are selected from a pool of nominations submitted by ONA members. Learn about Benét’s contribution to the journalism community and other individual award winners.

If you have just one day for ONA24

Hey, did you know you can get a Day Pass to ONA24? Browse the schedule to decide your must-see sessions. Perhaps it’s Wednesday’s workshop for mid-career professionals; the practical learning sessions on audience insights, trust in news and personalized newsletters on Thursday; or a deep-dive into risk assessment and essential safety tips for journalists on Saturday. The day rate is $150 for ONA members and $175 for non-members. Register now!

Mark your calendar

Aug. 28: Deadline: Book your ONA24 hotel room
Aug. 30: Deadline: ONA board nominations
Sept. 5: Case Study: What we can learn about AI and elections from the world’s biggest election NEW!
Sept. 11: Voting opens for 2025-26 Board of Directors (for ONA members as of Sept. 9)
Sept. 11: Case Study: How local newspaper iTromsø built a custom AI tool for story research and discovery
Sept. 18-21: 2024 Online News Association Conference (Atlanta)
Sept. 20: 2024 Online Journalism Awards Ceremony (Atlanta)
Sept. 21: Macon: A Knight City Experience (for ONA24 attendees)
Oct. 3: Case Study: How the Hearst DevHub built AI tools to improve their newsrooms’ workflow NEW!
Oct. 8: AI Innovator Collaborative
Nov. 12: AI Innovator Collaborative
Dec. 10: AI Innovator Collaborative

Career opportunities

ONA’s Career Center is an excellent resource for jobs, fellowships and internships in digital journalism. Recent postings include:

Station Manager – KBIA-FM/KMUC-FM, University of Missouri – Columbia NEW!
Social Media Strategist, University of Florida NEW!
Outdoors Life Reporter, Bridge Michigan NEW!
Editor-in-Chief, Phoenix New Times
Government and Politics Editor, The Seattle Times
Education Lab Reporter, The Seattle Times
Senior Education Editor, Early Learning & COVID Recovery, The 74 Media
Senior Audience Engagement Editor, The Emancipator, Center For Antiracist Research, Boston University
Remote Digital Reporter, Snopes Inc.
Social Video Producer, Rest of World
Economic Inequality Reporter, Honolulu Civil Beat
Director of Audience and Membership, Wisconsin Watch
Product Manager, Engagement and Crowdsourcing Tools, ProPublica
Eric Von Fellow, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Managing Editor, Springfield Daily Citizen
Associate News Editor, The Transmitter
Executive Director, Carolina Public Press
Editor in Chief, INDY
OPS Outreach Coordinator for the Brechner Center, University of Florida
Chief Executive Officer, EdSource
Lead Reporter in Pittsburgh, Technical.ly
Maui Reporter, Local Government, Honolulu Civil Beat
Faculty (open track/open rank) / Director of the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation, University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media

What we’re watching in AI tech

Ex-Google CEO says AI companies can steal content with impunity.
GitHub rolls out AI-powered fixes for code vulnerabilities.
Up to 50 percent of job applicants are using AI tools like ChatGPT to create cover letters and resumes. This is leading to a flood of low-quality applications, posing challenges for recruiters.
How Walmart is using AI to improve its business and save money.
Artists score major win in copyright case against AI art generators.

Support ONA

There are many ways to help sustain ONA’s mission to drive innovation in digital journalism:

Share your ONA story
Join as an ONA member
Make a one-time donation
Explore options to reach the ONA community about your event, product, job opening or other opportunity.
Invest in ONA programs: Contact Head of Strategic Partnerships Hanaa Rifaey, hanaa@journalists.org, to learn about philanthropic and corporate support.