2026 predictions, explaining AI paper, journalism jobs and more
Early bird tickets end soon for the 2026 AI x Journalism Summit
Prediction: Journalism will stop relying on exposure to hold the powerful accountable
In an essay published as part of NiemanLab's Predictions for 2026, Hacks/Hackers strategic advisor Paul Cheung suggests the actors that journalism aims to hold accountable now operate inside systems designed to neutralize exposure, rather than respond to it.
Journalism, Paul writes, must abandon the idea that illumination drives accountability and begin changing the environment in which its work operates.
Building future AI news experiences with The Atlantic and Infactory (East Palo Alto, January 31, 2026)
Join Hacks/Hackers, The Atlantic’s product and tech team and Infactory in East Palo Alto on January 31 for for a hands-on day of innovation exploring how AI can responsibly transform the way people experience news.
Using The Atlantic’s archives and Infactory’s AI technology, you can hack on new approaches to curation, personalization and audience engagement using AI. Space is limited to 100 participants, and there is a $5,000 prize for the top project.
Early bird registration ends on Wednesday, December 24!
The Hacks/Hackers AI x Journalism Summit returns to Baltimore on May 13-14, 2026. Early bird registration end on December 24!
We hope to see you in Baltimore, and we hope you'll send us your pitches – use the submission form below. We’re also calling for pitches for the program, more info at the event link:
This giving season, donate to Hacks/Hackers
Billions of dollars are being spent on AI infrastructure and platforms, and the media transformation is moving even faster.
Journalism needs a seat at the table, not just to use these tools, but to shape them – ethically and in service of public trust.
Hacks/Hackers want to increase our impact even more in 2026, and are asking for your help with a donation that will have immediate impact.
AI papers explained
We're launching a new feature! AI Papers Explained is our experiment in using AI to help translate the latest AI research from arXiv into plain language for journalists and technologists. NOTE: The summaries are AI-generated and lightly edited, and so may contain errors or omissions. Our first summary: The best large language models get facts wrong about one-third of the time, according to a new benchmark.
AI x journalism news
- The shift from text to more dynamic AI experiences (Fidji Simo, OpenAI)
- How big tech is creating its own friendly media bubble to ‘win the narrative battle online’ (Guardian)
- Anthropic says MCP will stay 'open, neutral, and community-driven' after donating project to Linux Foundation (ITPro)
- Wrestling with Hulk Hogan’s Litigation Legacy for Online Journalism (American Enterprise Institute)
Upcoming events
- Jan 22, virtual, Redux: Legal Rights and Risks for Journalists Covering Immigration Enforcement
- Feb 10-13, Miami, Knight Media Forum 2026
- Feb 25-26, TBD, Africa Media Festival
- Mar 5-8, Indianapolis, NICAR26
- Mar 9-13, Toronto, Media Subscriptions Summit
- Mar 12, Washington D.C., RTDNA World Tour
- Mar 30, Chicago, ONA26: Chicago
- May 12-14, Baltimore, Hacks/Hackers AI x Journalism Summit 2026
Journalism jobs
- Assistant Professor in Data Journalism/Artificial Intelligence, Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Deputy Editor, Engagement, ProPublica (US)
- Deputy Editor, Honolulu Civil Beat (US)
- Development Director, Tiny News Collective (US)
- Director of Communications and Marketing, Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University (US)
- Executive Director, Investigative Project on Race and Equity (US)
- Investigative Journalist (Fellowship), American University (Fellowship, US)
- Knight Chair for Audience Engagement and Trust in Media, Arizona State University (US)
- Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University, Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard (US)
- Open Rank Professor, Investigative Journalism & Executive Editor, Investigative Reporting Workshop (US)
- Senior Platform Editor, WSJ (US)
- Video News Production Fellow Democracy Now! (US)
- Digital Communications and Outreach Assistant, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (EU)
- Director of the London Office, Reporters Without Borders (UK)
- Legal Advisor, Mnemonic (Anywhere)
- Professor/Knight Chair in Journalism and Technology, University of Florida (Anywhere)
- Program Coordinator, IREX (Anywhere)
