Local Matters

Local TV stations in the United States want to take advantage of AI to make them more efficient but insist this cannot come at the risk of their journalistic credibility. That is the view of one Emmy® award-winning newsroom leader in the latest Making the Media Podcast, who also highlights the role of streaming and social media in building and retaining audiences.

In the episode, Bob Ellis, VP and general manager of WDIV in Detroit, Michigan, says that they are investigating ways in which AI can help their reporters through the generation of interview transcripts, for example, but he says it is crucial that their reporters and producers verify content before publication.

He tells host, Craig Wilson, “We want to use AI to help our staff be more efficient. But I don't see a time in this organization anyway where we would ever have AI publish things. The process of a journalist is too critical today. And again, I go back to the misinformation we just spoke about. We will not take that chance.”

Bob has been involved in news for thirty years, with his stations winning two Edward R. Murrow Awards and he himself being recognized as a leader in his field. He is passionate about local news and the critical role it plays in communities and the democratic process overall. He says it is vitally important that local channels use all of the distribution methods at their disposal to maximize their relevance to their audience.

In the episode, Bob says, “It can be individuals, it can be groups—we just want to use the power of our platforms, television, website, streaming channel, and social media to tell the story of these groups that are doing incredible work and may not otherwise get the notoriety. We've changed the trajectory of the impact of these organizations—some of them forever by just taking the power of what we do and who we are and telling their story.”

Bob also speaks about how lessons learned through COVID are still impacting how newsrooms operate and why it is important for news organizations to challenge those who seek to undermine their credibility, highlighting to audiences the steps they take to verify information before it is broadcast.

Find out more in the new episode of the Making the Media Podcast, available on all major podcast platforms on Friday, February 14.

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