Kent Online: AI for journalism
Client: Kent Online (part of the Iliffe Media Group)
Scope: AI training and workflow integration for 25 journalists
Overview
GenFutures Lab partnered with Kent Online to help journalists adopt AI in ways that strengthen core newsroom work. The focus was practical, not theoretical. We worked across the full reporting cycle, from story discovery and research to editing, administration, and responsible use.
The aim was clear: save time on repetitive tasks, to free up time to discover new stories and to dive into the facts, while improving the quality and speed of reporting, without compromising editorial standards.
Approach
We delivered a hands-on training programme tailored to real newsroom workflows. The sessions combined live demonstrations, guided exercises, and collaborative labs to ensure immediate application.
Key elements included:
- Foundations: Clear understanding of how large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude work, including limitations and risks.
- Productivity use cases: Identifying high-impact opportunities across research, transcription, summarisation, and headline optimisation.
- Prompting techniques: Practical frameworks including RTF, RISEN, and RODES to improve output quality and consistency.
- Content extraction: Rapid identification of quotes, story angles, and data points from dense documents.
- Visual storytelling: Guidance on when and how to use AI-generated images responsibly.
- Ethics and compliance: NUJ-aligned principles embedded into all workflows
- Adoption: Each participant defined a personalised “next-week” experiment to apply learning immediately.
Outcome and achievements
The programme moved AI from awareness to day-to-day capability.
- Faster story discovery and research: Journalists used AI-assisted analysis to identify angles and insights more quickly
- Reduced administrative burden: Transcription and routine tasks were automated, freeing up reporting time
- Improved content quality: AI-supported editing and headline testing strengthened clarity and engagement
- Responsible AI use embedded: Clear guardrails ensured outputs aligned with editorial and NUJ standards
- Sustained adoption: Journalists left with practical workflows and clear next steps, enabling continued use beyond the sessions
Key takeaway: AI became a practical newsroom tool, enhancing speed and quality while reinforcing responsible journalism.