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Artificial Intelligence has significantly affected journalism and research. Its use continuously blurs the line between truth and falsehoods as it also helps to enhance productivity in journalism when used ethically. The sustained increase in their innovation and sophistication has made the understanding and mastery of its use for journalists more important than ever.
Our recent survey on the state of media training in Nigeria to be published in the upcoming Media Capacity Development Report revealed low capacity-building opportunities for Nigerian journalists in Artificial Intelligence.
The survey which asked Nigerian journalists what training they partook in in 2023 showed us that Nigeria is still slow in the training and building capacity of journalists in Artificial Intelligence.
However, there are new opportunities to learn and master its use now as two organisations in Nigeria just released a call for journalists to apply for their AI in Journalism fellowships. We also collated some other free opportunities to learn about AI use in Journalism.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development is calling on Nigerian journalists to apply for its AI in Journalism Fellowship. Hosted to foster collaboration between journalists and technologists (Data Scientists and Analysts, Machine Learning Engineers, Software Developers, Data Engineers, AI experts etc) to develop cutting-edge AI-powered solutions for the media industry.
The fellowship will give participants the opportunity to work together in multidisciplinary teams, receive insights from industry experts, attend an in-person kick-off in Abuja, Nigeria and access funding to develop and scale their innovative ideas.
Nigerian Journalists (only) should apply now for this opportunity before it closes on the 19th of April 2024.
Similarly, Factcheck Africa has also released a call for journalists to apply for its AI Journalism Fellowship (West Africa). The fellowship will bring together journalists and expert technologists from around West Africa to explore the use of artificial intelligence technologies to enhance journalism processes.
About 40 journalists will be selected across West Africa to join the 2024 Fellowship cohort to be trained for three months, from May to July, on how to harness the transformative potential of AI in the media industry.
You can apply here before it closes on April 23rd, 2024 (23:59 GMT+1).
Last year, the Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas launched a Massive Open Online Course for journalists to learn how to use CHAT-GPT and other Generative AI in their newsrooms. The MOOC which is now a self-directed course features content from the four-week course taught by Aimee Rinehart and Sil Hamilton between September 25 and October 22 2023. You can still register and do the course here.
There is another ongoing Knight Center’s free online course, “Freedom of Expression, Artificial Intelligence and Elections,” organized in collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP, and with support of the Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). You can also join that course here
The Thomson Foundation, recently, also launched a free, online training course designed to help newsrooms address a defining issue of the modern age: the ethical use of AI.
The course “AI in the newsroom: the ethical approach” was put together with leading industry experts to guide journalists on the ethical policies to adopt to make sure their brand remains a trusted source of news. You can enrol for the course on Journalismnow.org now.
The Pulitzer Centre has also launched an AI in journalism training series tagged AI Spotlight Series for reporters, and editors. With a lineup of some of the world’s leading tech reporters and editors tracking AI and data-driven technologies for years the training series is designed to equip reporters and editors with the knowledge and skills to cover and shape the coverage of AI and its influence on society.
Reporters can register for the introduction to AI reporting or AI intensive Reporting, while editors can access the Editors Guide to AI here
Lastly, in the concluding webinar of the ICFJ’s Empowering the Truth Global Summit series held in March, Nikita Roy discussed how journalists can leverage AI in their work. You can watch the live-streamed webinar on Facebook here
