Hacks/Hackers launches new lab to empower newsrooms to build AI tools
Newsroom AI Lab participants will be guided by technical advisors Jake Kara and Paige Moody
Hacks/Hackers is launching a Newsroom AI Lab to support smaller newsrooms in evaluating, adopting and implementing large language models and other recent technologies, supported by a $300,000 grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. The Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab will build lasting technical capacity in participating newsrooms through hands-on collaboration, structured technical support and development of new AI tools and templates designed specifically for journalism that can be used by any newsroom.
“Small newsrooms are the voice of communities everywhere, providing a platform for local stories to be heard. Hacks/Hackers’ Newsroom AI Lab transforms information sharing for independent journalists, equipping lean newsrooms with the skills to adopt AI responsibly. Our partnership with Hacks/Hackers reflects our commitment to ensuring small newsrooms can continue to be trusted sources of information, deepening connections within the audiences they serve,” said Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab participants will be guided by technical advisors Jake Kara and Paige Moody, who bring years of experience working closely with reporters, editors and product teams to build tools that solve real newsroom problems, most recently at The Washington Post. Kara spent over a decade as a data reporter and editor before becoming a software engineer full time, motivated to find and build the tools he wished were available in the newsrooms he worked in. Before leading the Reporting Tools engineering team at The Post, Moody wrangeld data at Mapbox, a provider of custom online maps, to enable visualization and analysis of complex geospatial information.
“The Newsroom AI Lab isn’t about quick hacks or one-off tools — it’s about building lasting muscle within newsrooms to navigate the fast-moving world of AI,” said Paige Moody. “We’re here to help teams gain confidence in asking the right questions, scoping smart experiments, and managing technical projects with clarity and purpose. Just as importantly, we will empower newsrooms to identify when AI isn’t an appropriate part of the solution. Newsroom partners will walk away not just with a prototype, but with the skills and frameworks to keep experimenting, evaluating and building long after the lab concludes.”
“Participating Newsroom AI Lab partners should be curious about if and how AI can fit responsibly into journalism’s mission, and also should be able to focus on a project that allows experimentation, learning and big thinking,” said Jake Kara. “We’re looking for smaller newsrooms that want to thoughtfully and critically engage with AI to adapt to and harness its potential. That also includes learning to identify when AI tools are or are not the right tool for the job."
Over the course of a year, Hacks/Hackers technical advisors will guide small cohorts of newsrooms, with each newsroom focusing on its own AI-powered project. Newsroom AI Lab advisors will help identify a challenge or opportunity where AI might play a role in a sustainable solution, and then collaboratively scope and execute a prototype tailored to their unique workflows, team and audience. The Newsroom AI Lab will also create a public “Implementation Playbook” that highlights prototyped tools and approaches that can be adapted by others. Additionally, the Lab will produce a “build-vs-buy” evaluation framework to help newsrooms assess when to adopt off-the-shelf solutions vs develop their own.
“We want to enable journalists to supercharge their work with new technologies like large language models, especially smaller newsrooms where this can have an outsized impact in how they provide information and connect with their communities” said Burt Herman, Hacks/Hackers co-founder, who, together with Hacks/Hackers Strategic Advisor Paul Cheung, will manage the Newsroom AI Lab. “While the fast-paced, continuous evolution of these technologies is both exciting and daunting, we can use AI itself to help these newsrooms adapt and leverage emerging technologies. This will also support AI developing in ways to augment human abilities in alignment with democratic ideals.”
"The misuse of AI damages audience trust and wastes chances to better inform local communities," said Paul Cheung. "The Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab, with support from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, will help smaller newsrooms experiment with AI tools that match their resources and goals."
Criteria for participating in the Hacks/Hackers News AI Lab includes:
- Small-to-medium-sized newsroom, ideally independently operated
- Demonstrated need and interest in AI/technical project development
- Capacity to participate in program and decision-making
- Comfortable with public facing documentation of partnership work
Work with the Newsroom AI Lab
The Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab expects to onboard its first cohort of newsrooms this summer. If your news organization is interested in working with the lab, please fill out this form.
For more information about Hacks/Hackers, contact: Burt Herman, burt@hackshackers.com
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and data science solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. PJMF works in partnership with public, private, and social institutions to drive progress on our most pressing challenges, including digital health, climate change, broad digital access, and data maturity in the social sector.
