I just finished reading JournalismAI’s Innovation Challenge report on 35 case studies in the news business. These innovative projects run the gamut from checking disinformation to holding governments accountable to delivering alerts. 

What is remarkable about these projects is the news organisations building them are small — and it is AI that enables their ambition to take shape.

We focus on the business of news here at INMA and believe building a direct relationship with the news consumer is increasingly important, especially in an era where AI-powered news experiences can drain referral traffic. 

Here are three AI use cases that exemplify the ability to create a connection with readers:

1. Economía para la Pipol

This Colombian digital media outlet created an AI-powered chatbot that delivers insights on economic news in accessible language that bridges the gap between how the government and traditional media explain economics and what people understand from it. 

Initially, their content on social media answered basic questions and proved highly successful, but it reached mainly urban, Internet-savvy audiences. To connect with a wider range of groups, the team launched a Web site and eventually developed the chatbot, which was designed around the questions that people actually ask.

The team mapped recurring queries from social channels, validated them through audience research, and created a database of more than 900 answers. This was enriched with official requests to Colombian government entities, ensuring the responses reflected accurate and current information.

Takeaways: Put the reader first. Think about how they consume news and what purpose your content is serving. Think about how to make it truly useful for them. Also, this service could prove to be another stream of revenue for Economia para la Pipol. The team is exploring partnerships with organisations that need economic information translated for broader audiences, as well as a WhatsApp version. 

2. Makedonia

This regional newspaper in Greece was wondering how to remain relevant in an era where social media delivers instant neighbourhood news and younger generations increasingly avoid traditional journalism.

Their response: an AI-powered personalised newsletter system.

The tool Makedonia built integrates ChatGPT for content analysis, Mailchimp for distribution, and a custom WordPress-based content management system. When users interact with newsletter content and indicate preferences, AI provides feedback to ensure the next newsletter is delivered without human intervention. 

The system also includes a crucial editorial safeguard against filter bubbles: Every newsletter will include an “editor’s pick” of two or three articles that gives users important news, not just what they want. 

Future enhancements include testing headlines to optimise newsletter open rates and extending personalisation to push notifications.  

Takeaways: Prioritise easy adoption. Develop solutions that are designed to be “easily introduced and adopted” by newsroom staff, minimising disruption and training overhead. Provide comprehensive support for implementation and change management, not just the technical tools themselves. And balance AI with editorial control. View AI-powered personalisation as an opportunity to create appealing content that helps preserve the local focus, particularly the distinctive value of regional journalism.

3. Daily Maverick 

This South African media company, which relies on voluntary membership for revenue, saw a significant drop-off between people clicking to convert and those who actually completed their membership signup. 

They knew that readers’ appreciated Daily Maverick’s focus on community, so they resolved to use AI to target three components of a membership strategy: optimising their landing page for acquisition, maximising engagement, and building an impact-tracking tool to demonstrate the impact of their journalism.

They added heat maps to the landing page and discovered that 75% of the people didn’t go below the fold. So, they transformed the static landing page to one that delivers tailored messages to specific audience targets. Initial testing showed a 55% increase in conversion. 

To increase engagement, they created a social networking platform called Daily Maverick Connect with an AI-powered comment moderation tool.

They also created an impact tracker that uses an LLM trained on past stories to scan parliamentary notes and identify how Daily Maverick’s journalism effects change. It also generates reports on the effect of specific teams’ work, which are shared with readers, but journalists also found this tool useful for tracking the progression of stories, finding experts, and designing their reporting with intentional impact. 

Takeaways: Consider it a “huge mistake” to approach AI projects without an interdisciplinary team. Since the first users of internal-facing tools are journalists and staff, breaking down silos and collaborating across the board is essential for success and user-friendly design.

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