On Monday, Sept. 9, the Empire State Local News Coalition and Columbia Journalism School, hosted “AI and Local News: Challenges and Opportunities for Journalism in New York,” a panel convening experts in journalism, technology and government to explore how AI is reshaping local news and the opportunities it presents for cross-sector collaboration.
The local news industry is in the fight of its life. Over the past 20 years, New York State has lost roughly half of its newspapers and thousands of journalism jobs. The rise of artificial intelligence is a new frontier for the industry, offering opportunities to boost financial sustainability while posing significant threats to long-held ethical standards. The panel explored these pressing issues, providing a platform for critical discussion on how AI can both challenge and support the future of local journalism.
The panel, moderated by Juan Manuel Benitez, local journalism professor at Columbia Journalism School, brought together a diverse cross-section of industry experts. Zachary Richner, founder of the Empire State Local News Coalition, and Elinor Tatum, publisher and editor in chief of Amsterdam News, shared first-hand insights on the challenges facing newsrooms statewide and the potential for AI to foster innovative approaches that increase productivity and financial sustainability for the industry. Kristen Gonzalez, NYS state senator and chair of the Internet and Technology Committee, and Marjorie Velázquez, VP of Policy at Tech:NYC, reflected on the industry-wide implications of AI and the need for meaningful collaboration with media outlets to establish effective policies that protect local journalism. Finally, Mark Hansen, director of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia University, provided his deep knowledge on generative AI models and how they can be a powerful tool to equip the next generation of journalists.
“We are just beginning to grasp artificial intelligence's potential impact on our industry. AI poses challenges to preserving a healthy local media ecosystem, but it can also be a powerful tool for empowering community-oriented journalists to spend more time reporting and building connections within the areas they serve. This event marks an important first step in fostering a healthy dialogue that will help shape a policy agenda that positions AI as a resource — but never a replacement — for original, local journalism. Our coalition, representing over 200 newspapers statewide, looks forward to collaborating with government leaders and stakeholders in the media and tech industries to ensure that New York communities continue to receive accurate, local reporting on the issues that matter most to them,” said Richner.
"This panel was a great example of the important conversations we want to have at Columbia Journalism School in order to build and support a strong local media industry. We are the perfect venue to explore the valuable tools AI can offer to strengthen journalism, while also addressing the many challenges it presents at this critical point for many local news outlets. We must find a balance between leveraging the benefits of AI while protecting the integrity and sustainability of local journalism," said Juan Manuel Benitez, Philip S. Balboni Professor of Professional Practice of Local Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.
About the Empire State Local News Coalition:
Comprising more than 200 print and online newspapers, the Empire State Local News Coalition launched in 2024 to advocate for sound public policy that ensures the important work of local news organizations can continue across New York state. Through our independent journalism, we aim to serve, inform, uplift and protect New Yorkers. We care deeply about our local communities as well as the future of New York’s free press. For more information, visit SaveNYLocalNews.com.
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