Q. What is the Newsroom AI Catalyst programme?
The Newsroom AI Catalyst is an accelerator programme designed by WAN-IFRA. Sponsored by OpenAI, the programme is open to 128 newsrooms across Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and South Asia. It combines expert guidance with hands-on experience, equipping newsroom stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to drive strategic AI initiatives. On completion, participants will leave the programme with a prototype and a clear roadmap to scale up their artificial intelligence operations in the newsroom.
Q. What can I expect from my participation?
The aim of the programme is to accelerate practical experimentation with artificial intelligence applications in newsrooms. At the end of three months of training, you will have an understanding of the issues, the benefits and the tools that will enable you to deploy algorithmic tools in your newsroom. The programme is project-oriented, with the implementation of an operational prototype that you will share and challenge with the programme participants.
Q. What is included in the programme?
The offerings in the Programme include:
- The opportunity to identify, define success against, and triple the odds of achieving success at a core artificial intelligence challenge confronting the participating news enterprise.
- Coaching by individual coaches.
- Opportunities to partner and learn with other news enterprises whose contexts and challenges likely have meaningful similarity.
- Budget permitting, access to folks whose expertise is directly relevant to the selected performance challenges (some of which might, again budget permitting, be delivered by webinar).
- Access to case studies/illustrations of successful AI initiatives elsewhere;
Q. What is not included in the programme?
The Newsroom AI Catalyst is a tuition-free programme for WAN-IFRA members. Its does not cover participants’ travel expenses required to attend the in-person sessions.
Q. What financial or human resources should I allocate to the programme?
Participants will nominate and commit two mid-to-senior-level newsroom executives for the full duration of the programme. Editorial participants should be mid-to-senior newsroom leaders, such as editors-in-chief and managing editors, members of the masthead, such as digital editors, and younger leaders groomed for succession. Nominees from each newsroom agree to develop an AI prototype to solve a specific problem or increase efficiency in their newsrooms. Media companies can nominate up to two additional representatives performing different job roles to attend the online sessions and form an in-house cross-functional team. All participants must have spoken and working proficiency in English.
Q. How is the programme designed?
The Newsroom AI Catalyst is designed by WAN-IFRA in partnership with Fathm, a UK-based independent media lab, consultancy, and creative agency. The programme is sponsored by OpenAI.
Q. What happens between the sessions?
Five rounds of individual coaching complete the 10 modules of the accelerator programme
Q. Can I apply to more than one Accelerator?
The programme is designed to serve 128 different editorial teams. During the programme’s duration, you can register only for one accelerator.
Q. Can I apply if I’m not from Europe, Asia Pacific, South Asia or Latin America?
Our sponsor, OpenAI, has committed to funding the programme in four major regions: Europe, Asia Pacific, South Asia and Latin America. If your company is not in one of these regions, please contact the WAN-IFRA team.
Q. What role does OpenAI play in the programme?
OpenAI sponsors the programme and does not intervene in the programme’s content except for specific skills deemed useful by the programming team.