Some forty community journalists from different parts of the country completed a 3-day Seminar-Workshop on Racing with Machines, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Journalism held at the Saint Giles Hotel in Makati City.
This training was spearheaded by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers, in partnership with the German-based Hanns Seidel Foundation and was aimed to educating the media practitioners on the available AI tools and their effect to the practice of the media profession.
Further, the attendees were also able to craft the proposed guidelines that will govern the use of AI in the newsrooms to ensure its ethical use in the practice of journalism.
Alexander Birle, resident representative of Hanns Seidel foundation Philippines, underscored the importance of the training to guide media practitioners on how to come up with the potential threat of AI to the media industry.
Len Olea, Secretary-General of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), provided the overview on the Digital Security for Journalists and facilitated the hands-on exercises that allowed the participants to look into the potential threats of their respective social media accounts, including their personal accounts, for them to be able to freely practice their profession.
On the other hand, Dominic Ligot, founder and chief technology officer of Cirrolytix, oriented the journalists on AI and the practice of journalism and the ethics and accountability on the use of AI.
For her part, Yvonne Chua, Associate professor of the University of the Philippines (UP), facilitated the AI and Journalism Workshop to guide the media practitioners to personally see whether or not AI is a risk or opportunity for them in the community press.
The crafted guidelines on the ethical use of AI tools for community newspapers will still be subject to review, refinement and consultations with the decision-makers in the community press prior to its possible roll out to serve as the guidepost for media practitioners in using AI for their profession.
Hanns Seidel Foundation has been a solid partner of PPI over the past five years in enhancing the reportage of community journalists from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao through roundtable discussions, series of trainings, among others, beneficial in providing the public with accurate information and dispel misinformation, disinformation and misinformation.
PPI Executive Director Ariel Sebellino expressed hope that the draft guidelines on the ethical use of AI in the community papers will be finalized and rolled out to ensure the sustainability of the practice of the media profession, especially in the communities where the local newspapers operate and exist for updated reportage and being accountable for the use of AI in the crafting of the news.
PPI will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in April next year following its founding in 1964 to serve as the national association of newspapers in the country.
