Newsletter

Solution Set: In a world of AI, the human touch is more important than ever for newsrooms

October 15, 2026

If more people are getting their news from AI chatbots, where does that leave news publishers? The rise of AI actually opens up important opportunities for newsrooms to increase in-person connections, explain how AI works, and stick to producing ethical journalism, according to Lynn Walsh of Trusting News.

In Walsh’s guest essay for The Lenfest Institute, based on an online workshop she led in August, she cites Reuters Institute research showing people prefer human-made news and Trusting News research that shows audiences want humans to help them understand AI.

Walsh suggests that the gap between what AI can do and what human journalists do could build trust, deepen engagement, and bring in revenue. In her studies, coverage that helps build AI-literacy raised trust in the news organization that shared it. What if instead of simply warning people about AI, newsrooms helped people understand AI and used that conversation to make the value of journalism more visible?

Here are four key ideas that came out of the workshop conversation:

Show up in person. Host community events, join relief efforts after emergencies, and get reporters out of the office and into the field. In-person presence is something AI can’t replicate.
Put your journalists front and center. Run a campaign showing the people behind the reporting with videos of reporters knocking on doors, attending meetings, and following up on tips.
Become the local AI literacy guide. Publish regular AI tips and explainers. Show the difference between AI-generated content and human-created content.
Recommit to the basics. Correct mistakes consistently, make it easy to reach your newsroom, and answer reader questions. Attend public meetings in person and pick up the phone instead of relying on email.

“The time to act is now,” Walsh wrote. “AI may be able to tell people what happened, but newsrooms have an opportunity to show people why having humans accountable for information-gathering and publishing still matters.”

Read the whole essay to learn more

Now let’s get to some timely resources for newsrooms, including:

🦾 Grants for up to $500,000 for newsrooms covering AI

🧑🏼‍🎓 Nieman Fellowships that pay $87,500 for a year at Harvard

🌟 Inspiration from Medill’s “Bright Spots” in local news

💡 A Documented-led cohort to better serve immigrant communities

Did we miss any resources? Drop us a line here and let us know.

🧠 Brain food: insights from the field

Bright Spots in the Local News Landscape by Jennifer Kho from Medill Local News Initiative

“The experiments highlighted in this section span editorial impact, revenue, product, community building, and civic engagement. To help their communities thrive, these organizations are growing and deepening relationships with their audiences, expanding coverage to fill news gaps, and diversifying revenue streams to achieve financial sustainability. Some common themes include: pride of place; events; future-proofing; and more.”

NewsMatch at 10: A Decade of Impact from INN

“How can we attract new supporters of nonprofit news? How can we have the greatest impact now and in the future?…In 2027, INN will pilot NewsMatch Catalyst Campaigns, supporting a select group of INN members as they test new fundraising strategies, deepen donor engagement and build toward long-term sustainability. The year-end campaign that INN members know and rely on isn’t going anywhere, but NewsMatch is expanding beyond that single moment.”

Subscribers are up, but growth is down. Here’s what worker-owned Hell Gate is trying next, by Sarah Scire at Nieman Lab

“The fact that the free subscribers have grown faster than our paying subscribers suggests to me that we need to be more aggressive about figuring out how to work them in. Gentle encouragement and inducing guilt is definitely one powerful tool. The other one is turning off the free stuff every once in a while in a stochastic, destabilizing way, so that they’re like, ‘Oh, I actually really did want to read that newsletter today.’” — Hell Gate co-founder Nick Pinto

Keeping rural journalism alive, by William McKenzie at George W. Bush Institute

“The work and strategies of the news organizations in this essay matter for this simple reason: We need to think of reliable information the way we do clean water or clean air…As these case studies show, some rural news organizations continue to provide local reporting for their communities. In doing so, they empower citizens from the Texas Panhandle to the Midwest to Central Appalachia to make informed decisions. In the end, that strengthens our democracy.”

Grants & Fellowships: bring in the 💰

Grants

Solitary Confinement Reporting Grants from Solitary Watch – Solitary Watch is offering grants to journalists and nonprofit newsrooms working in all media with the goal of expanding public awareness and understanding of solitary confinement in U.S. federal and state prisons, local and tribal jails, immigration detention centers, and juvenile justice facilities. Grants range from $1,000 to $3,000. Apply by October 31.

Rupert Cornwell Award from The Independent – The award honors one of The Independent’s longest-serving foreign correspondents, Rupert Cornwell (pictured above in Moscow in 1987). The £5,000 award is for a foreign assignment in one of the broad regions that Rupert covered throughout his long career — North America, Europe, and the territories of the former Soviet Union. Applicants should be under 30 as of January 1, 2026, and based in the U.S. or U.K. Apply by November 1.
Pathways to Sustainability Program from the Public Media Bridge Fund – The program is designed to help move local public media organizations from short-term stabilization to long-term sustainability while preserving and strengthening local service. The program helps those public media organizations develop and implement concrete strategies so they can become self-sustaining. Apply by November 19.
The Human Thread from the National Geographic Explorers – Explorers receive support and funding aligned to their specific needs and goals. Each year, a small number of grants are awarded to individuals who are just beginning their National Geographic journey, as well as those who are working on more advanced projects. With support from Lilly Endowment Inc., they are seeking storytelling projects that illuminate the vast spectrum of the human experience. Apply by December 1.
Institutional Grants from Tarbell Center for AI Journalism – Tarbell is increasing the scale of its support for independent journalism covering AI with a new institutional grants program. The program will distribute grants of $50,000 to $500,000+ to fund everything from new reporting teams, investigative units, and verticals at existing outlets to helping establish entirely new media ventures and series. Tarbell aims to distribute at least $10M in funding by the end of 2027. Apply by December 11.
Springboard Project from Type Investigations – The Project provides an infusion of resources to help a cohort of local newsrooms and publications serving historically marginalized communities build investigative capacity. The program provides comprehensive support, including capacity assessment and goal setting, mentorship and training, and collaborative fundraising and development. Each newsroom receives a $10,000 stipend. Apply by January 8, 2027.
Reporting Grants from New America’s Better Life Lab – The Better Life Lab invites journalists and storytellers to apply for its 2026 multimedia reporting grants. They are looking for (and funding) stories on solutions to the care crisis — from child care innovations to investments in family, disability, elder, and end-of-life care. Grants are about $1,000 each. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Data Journalism Grants from The Pulitzer Center – The Center is looking for proposals that will employ cutting-edge data techniques, as well as embrace collaboration among newsrooms. They encourage proposals that push the envelope in data collection and analysis and make use of advanced data mining techniques, such as machine learning, natural language processing, satellite imagery, drones, and sensors. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Fund for Indigenous Journalists from International Women’s Media Foundation – The Fund’s Indigenous Journalists & Allies: Reporting on Missing & Murdered People/Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Transgender People (MMIP/WG2T) initiative directly supports Indigenous journalists’ and allies’ reporting on the violence that targets members of Indigenous nations, both on sovereign ground and in urban settings in the U.S. Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists of all genders affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Fault Lines Reporting Fund from International Women’s Media Foundation – Supports journalists reporting on the forces driving racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, misogyny, and other forms of intolerance. Successful applications will examine how false, divisive, and harmful narratives take hold, including what is fueling them, where they are most pronounced, the scope of their impact, and where progress is made in combating hate-based agendas. Grant awards range from $2,500 to $10,000. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Reporting Grants from Sidney Hillman Foundation – Grants support ambitious, timely, under-covered stories about the U.S workplace. The grants are part of the foundation’s efforts to improve coverage of working people, union organizing, and the workplace. They are also intended to help support freelance reporters. Grants are up to $5,000 and are intended to cover the costs of reporting these vital stories, such as travel and related expenses. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Special opportunity

Apply to Host a Report for America Corps Member – Report for America places talented journalists with host newsrooms, covers a portion of each journalist’s salary for an initial two-year commitment with the option to renew for a third year, and provides training support to both the newsroom and the corps member. The organization is now accepting applications from newsrooms seeking to host a corps member starting in July 2027. Apply by October 19.

Fellowships

HEAL and Youth Building and Belonging (YBB) Fellowship from Solutions Journalism Network – The fellowships support U.S. journalists reporting on, for, and with young people on youth mental health and well-being. Both fellowships share a commitment to solutions journalism with differing focus areas. HEAL Fellowship supports journalists reporting on systemic mental health solutions, while the YBB Fellowship supports journalists reporting on the pre-conditions of youth wellbeing. Fellows receive up to $5,000 and SJN professional development. Apply by October 16.
Gary Hanson Fellowship from RTDNA – The fellowship, in honor of Gary Hanson, a former RTDNA chair and lifelong advocate for journalism and education, provides a stipend of up to $2,500 for recipients to attend the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, or another international journalism event of their choosing, to explore the field of global journalism firsthand. Apply by October 22.
Climate Journalism Fellowship from Solutions Journalism Network and MIT – The fellowship will support ambitious, well-researched local reporting on climate solutions, grounded in a deep understanding of the communities in which these solutions are implemented. Fellows receive a $7,500 stipend; programming to advance their understanding of climate science, climate, and energy policy and economics; and training and support in framing, researching, and writing rigorous stories. Apply by October 26.
Work//Shift Fellowship from Research to Impact Lab – The fellowship, a program of the Center for Cultural Innovation, is looking for people who are thinking deeply about the future of work. It’s designed around inquiry, collaboration, and developing new ideas with people from different fields. Selected fellows receive $30,000 for a 12-month fellowship beginning in January 2027. The commitment is about 10 hours a month, with two in-person gatherings. Apply by October 26.

Lauren Brown Fellowship from IWMF – The fellowship was created in memory of Lauren Alix Brown (pictured above), a founding editor at Quartz Media who died in 2019 at the age of 37. The fellowship will fund projects proposed by women and nonbinary journalists from underrepresented backgrounds. Journalists must be based in the U.S. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to support reporting projects or professional development opportunities. Apply by October 30.
Nieman Fellowship from Nieman Foundation – Fellows spend two full semesters in residence at Harvard University, audit classes across Harvard, MIT, and Tufts, attend exclusive seminars, master classes, shop talks, and narrative writing workshops. Open to working journalists with at least five years of full-time professional experience. Fellows receive $87,500 stipends plus child care and health insurance costs. Apply by January 31, 2027.

Training: upskill FTW 🎓

Managing Risk Around the Midterm Election Season from U.S. Journalist Assistance Network, October 20 at 1 pm EDT – Aimed at journalists, editors, and newsroom leaders, experts will walk you through how to assess and mitigate election-related risks, while taking care of your psychological well-being. This is a holistic safety webinar and will cover physical, digital, and psychosocial safety best practices to prepare for reporting before, during, and after Election Day.
Covering Immigration with Care: A Mental Health Reporting Project Webinar from Poynter, October 21 at noon EDT – Learn how to report on the effects of immigration on mental health with greater context, accuracy, and care. This free webinar explores trauma-informed interviewing, ethical storytelling, and practical reporting strategies. Learn how to connect individual stories to policy, services, and support systems, and hear from experienced journalists covering immigration.

Building Bridges: An Immigrant Media Training Program from Documented, January to August 2027 – Building Bridges is a project-based educational initiative that supports newsrooms in building community-driven journalism products that better serve immigrant communities. This training program builds on lessons and best practices from Documented‘s model, which includes listening to and understanding immigrant communities through needs assessments and launching a customized editorial product. Each newsroom will receive a $10,000 stipend. Apply by October 26.
HR & Finance Consulting, For-Profit News Providers from LION Publishers – In 2027, LION Publishers will provide one-on-one HR and/or finance consulting to 40 for-profit newsrooms, solopreneurs, and creators. Participating newsrooms will complete a Sustainability Audit and receive consulting support from skilled professionals to help strengthen their business. They are particularly interested in publishers who publish in Spanish and/or serve Spanish-speaking communities, publishers located in rural communities, and solopreneurs or creators. Apply by October 30.
Art of Editing: The Feature Story from ASME, November 4 at 6 pm EST; $35 for ASME members, $50 for non-members – The workshop is for early-career editors. Working in small groups led by veteran editors, attendees learn how to turn unedited manuscripts into successful feature stories. Group leaders include: Gazelle Emami, Editorial Director, New York Magazine; Gideon Gil, Managing Editor, STAT; Denise Wills, Editorial Director, The Atlantic.
AI for Product: Are You AI-Exposed? from the Local Media Association, November 10 at 2 pm EST; free for LMA members; $29 for non-members – Artificial intelligence creates many opportunities for news innovation. But AI also exposes news organizations to many new risks. In this essential session, Jon Accarrino, founder of ORDO Digital, walks news leaders through the key privacy and security risks news organizations face both from using AI and from having their content used by AI, including a security and tools checklist.
Building Sustainable Newsrooms through Evidence-Based Reporting from LMA, November 12 at 2 pm EST – Local newsrooms are uniquely positioned to equip their audiences with evidence-based reporting that informs their daily decisions. Reporting that brings evidence to bear on everyday issues such as housing, transportation, and weather stands to build community trust. Join The Open Notebook for a free training on how to evaluate scientific claims, find and interview expert sources, and confidently incorporate evidence into stories.
How to Launch a Library-Local News Collaboration and Civically Engage Your Community from the Library Newsroom Project, November 19 at 1 pm EST – Attendees will learn how to practically implement a collaboration in their community, walking through the process from conception to assessment with engagement journalist Terry Parris Jr. and journalist and current Library Futures intern Jazmyn Gray.
Today’s News for Tomorrow cohort from Internet Archive, Poynter, and IRE – Participating newsrooms will be provided with free access to tools and services to support the preservation of digital news. At least one representative from each newsroom will be expected to engage in both asynchronous and live training activities. There is no cost associated with participation. Training will begin in January. Apply by December 11.

Support: Get the help you need ☎️

News Media Help Desk from RJI – Free resource for local publishers with Learning Center articles, a Scorecard database of third-party digital tools, a literal help desk with live chat, and Digital On-Demand Services with expert contractors for hands-on work.
Homeless Reporting Toolkit from Homelessness Beat Reporters Collective – This guide was compiled by journalists with years of experience reporting on homelessness. The guide includes tools and context to report accurately and thoughtfully on homelessness, which can be politically divisive and misunderstood.
PulseRoom from NewsWerks – This audience simulation tool will help you gut-check a story, product, event, or message with research-informed simulations of your core and emerging audiences. Explore what different audiences might notice, question, value, or need before you move forward.
DataTalk from Big Local News – DataTalk is a research assistant that answers campaign-finance questions from official Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. Ask in plain English, and it writes the database query, runs it against the data, and shows its work next to every number so you can check it.
Emergency Mode for News from OpenNews, Newspack, and NC Local – The resource equips local journalists and their newsrooms with the tools they need to respond to climate disasters. With a disaster reporting action pack, software, and a learning community, Emergency Mode is designed to help journalists act nimbly and creatively to serve their communities when the unexpected happens.
The Lenfest Expert Network from The Lenfest Institute – The Expert Network connects local news organizations with experienced consultants who provide pro bono hands-on support to strengthen sustainability, audience engagement, and digital transformation for short-term consulting engagements lasting one to six months. Interested in joining an upcoming consulting round? Sign up for office hours here.

Events: learn and network 📅

News Product Alliance Summit, October 21-23 in Chicago – The event is for decision-makers who set priorities and ship work across product, audience, technology, revenue, and editorial, and turn strategy into execution.
IJ Week: A virtual investigative journalism event from GIJN, October 26-30 online – Investigative Journalism Week is a multi-day online gathering of journalists featuring more than 50 panels, workshops, and networking sessions with over 130 speakers. The sessions will be devoted to themes, including tech, the environment, corruption, and money laundering.
From the Ground Up: The Founders Reimagining Local News from TNC, November 10 in New York; November 17 in Washington D.C. – Join Tiny News Collective for a conversation with the community-centered founders rebuilding and reimagining local news. Across the country, founders are building small, independent newsrooms in the places they live, accountable to their neighbors.
Knight Media Forum from Knight Foundation, February 17 to 19, 2027 – The forum brings ideas, data, and lived experience into the same room, creating space for honest questions, useful connections, and new approaches to shared challenges.

Ask a Bot 🤖

Prompt: What are three ideas for Halloween costumes for a journalist dealing with the rise of AI and technology?

Answer via Claude:

1. The Hallucinating Fact-Checker. Wear a classic trench coat and press badge, then cover yourself in sticky notes that say “[CITATION NEEDED]” and “I made that up, but confidently.” Carry a magnifying glass that’s slightly out of focus. Bonus points if you answer every question with “Great question!” before saying something totally wrong.

2. Man vs. Machine (Literally Half and Half). Dress as a traditional journalist on one side (fedora, notepad, coffee-stained tie) and a robot on the other (cardboard-box torso, foil sleeve, blinking LEDs). Pin a sign on the human half that reads “Deadline: 2 hours” and one on the robot half that reads “Deadline: 2 seconds.”

3. The Clickbait Headline. Wear a sandwich board covered in over-the-top headlines like “You Won’t BELIEVE What This Chatbot Said Next” and “AI Took My Job. Here’s Why That’s Great (Sponsored).” Add a press badge and a perpetually exhausted expression.

Human analysis: And we thought that AI didn’t have a sense of humor! The hallucinating fact-checker is hilarious, even if no one (other than journalists) would figure it out. It’s nice that even Claude can hold onto the cliché of the journalist wearing a fedora and coffee-stained tie. Wearing a sandwich board is just a little too close to depression-era humor, but hey, it’s Halloween, so the scarier the better! 🎃