{"title":"Artificial Intelligence and Journalism: An Agenda for Journalism Research in Africa","authors":"Ammina Kothari, Sally Ann Cruikshank","doi":"10.1080/23743670.2021.1999840","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Globally, newsrooms are adopting various forms of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the newsgathering, production and distribution process. Western countries and China, in particular, are leading the innovation of AI in newsrooms—testing technologies that include machine learning, automated content creation and moderation and speech-to-text programs. The adoption of AI in newsrooms, and research of its impact, has predominantly focused on Western countries. Although some African countries have begun incorporating AI into sectors such as government agencies, health, education and finance, little information exists about how newsrooms on the continent are using AI technologies. In this paper, we propose a research agenda to advance the scholarship and understanding of the use of AI in African newsrooms and its implications for journalism in Africa. Through a systematic search of databases, we examine the current use of AI in newsrooms in Africa, along with a review of the opportunities and challenges it presents for journalists. We also present a comprehensive examination and discussion about the theoretical frameworks being used to examine newsroom processes—and the opportunities to adapt those theories to analyse the use of AI in African-led scholarship. Also included in the study are recommendations for addressing methodological challenges related to the use of AI in newsrooms.","PeriodicalId":54049,"journal":{"name":"African Journalism Studies","volume":"43 1","pages":"17 - 33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"8","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Journalism Studies","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23743670.2021.1999840","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"COMMUNICATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 8
Abstract
ABSTRACT Globally, newsrooms are adopting various forms of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the newsgathering, production and distribution process. Western countries and China, in particular, are leading the innovation of AI in newsrooms—testing technologies that include machine learning, automated content creation and moderation and speech-to-text programs. The adoption of AI in newsrooms, and research of its impact, has predominantly focused on Western countries. Although some African countries have begun incorporating AI into sectors such as government agencies, health, education and finance, little information exists about how newsrooms on the continent are using AI technologies. In this paper, we propose a research agenda to advance the scholarship and understanding of the use of AI in African newsrooms and its implications for journalism in Africa. Through a systematic search of databases, we examine the current use of AI in newsrooms in Africa, along with a review of the opportunities and challenges it presents for journalists. We also present a comprehensive examination and discussion about the theoretical frameworks being used to examine newsroom processes—and the opportunities to adapt those theories to analyse the use of AI in African-led scholarship. Also included in the study are recommendations for addressing methodological challenges related to the use of AI in newsrooms.
期刊介绍:
Accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training for university research purposes African Journalism Studies subscribes to the Code of Best Practice for Peer Reviewed Scholarly Journals of the Academy of Science of South Africa. African Journalism Studies ( AJS) aims to contribute to the ongoing extension of the theories, methodologies and empirical data to under-researched areas of knowledge production, through its emphasis on African journalism studies within a broader, comparative perspective of the Global South. AJS strives for theoretical diversity and methodological inclusivity, by developing theoretical approaches and making critical interventions in global scholarly debates. The journal''s comparative and interdisciplinary approach is informed by the related fields of cultural and media studies, communication studies, African studies, politics, and sociology. The field of journalism studies is understood broadly, as including the practices, norms, value systems, frameworks of representation, audiences, platforms, industries, theories and power relations that relate to the production, consumption and study of journalism. A wide definition of journalism is used, which extends beyond news and current affairs to include digital and social media, documentary film and narrative non-fiction.