Wisconsin Watch and Connecticut Mirror Join Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab as First Partners

The Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab is starting its work in August with two statewide newsrooms as our first partners: Wisconsin Watch and The Connecticut Mirror. 

The Newsroom AI Lab program, in partnership with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, helps small and mid-sized news organizations build capacity to scope, evaluate and manage technical projects involving AI. Our structured curriculum guides newsroom partners through complete product development cycles: identifying real needs, defining success metrics and using decision-making frameworks to explore whether AI provides sustainable solutions. 

Hacks/Hackers will be working with more newsrooms throughout the initial term for the lab that runs through mid-2026, with more cohorts launching in the coming months. If you are interested in working with the Hacks/Hackers Newsroom AI Lab, please fill out this form.

Both partners from Connecticut and Wisconsin approached the Lab with thoughtful, needs-driven ideas about how technology could amplify their journalism. They share curiosity about responsible AI experimentation, viewing it as a long-term strategy rather than a short-term fix.

"We appreciate this opportunity from Hacks/Hackers to test the potential of new tools to help us serve the public," said Jim Malewitz, Wisconsin Watch managing editor. "During a time when viral marketing threatens to distract newsrooms, we hope this experience helps us filter out the noise and explore innovations that support our mission."

"We are excited to scale up the great work our newsroom is already doing with the development of AI capabilities," said Angela Eichhorst, Connecticut Mirror AI Data Reporter/Product Developer. "We are building tools that save time for reporters in the research process and allow greater in-depth reporting across Connecticut."

How Newsrooms Approach AI Adoption: Key Themes

In our conversations with dozens of small and mid-sized newsrooms across the U.S. and globally, we noticed some common themes about how they approach AI today – and what support they need to navigate this moment with confidence. Here’s a list with some of what we heard: 

1) They are starting with the problem, not the tool

Across the board, newsrooms are skeptical of “AI for AI’s sake.” Organizations arrive with clear needs: improving ad sales workflows, making archival content discoverable or making journalism accessible to low-literacy audiences. The sentiment is clear: don't let technology drive strategy. 

Insight: Newsrooms want help scoping AI projects that solve real problems, not chasing tech trends. Our partnerships will balance problem-focused approaches with identifying new AI-enabled opportunities.

2) They’re pragmatic experimenters — but are stretched thin

Many newsrooms expressed eagerness to learn, but also acknowledged capacity constraints. Some journalists already use off-the-shelf AI tools effectively in daily work. They sense untapped potential yet lack time to explore it. 

Insight: Small newsrooms often rely on one technical staffer or none at all. They need strategies that help them conduct sustainable experiments that respect limited time and staff, paired with practical guidance about available tools and implementation strategies.

3) They see AI as a way to strengthen — not replace — their editorial mission

No newsroom we spoke with wants AI to write news. Instead, they focus on research tools, internal editing workflows and accessibility improvements. Ideas include flagging transparency issues in reporting, translating stories to various literacy levels while retaining meaning and supporting human editors with context-aware feedback. 

Insight: Responsible adoption means using tools to augment human workflows and judgment — not handing over tasks wholesale to AI systems.

4) They’re looking for replicable, shareable approaches and solutions

Organizations consistently express a desire to build tools and frameworks that benefit other newsrooms. This ecosystem mindset emerges from a desire to focus their newsrooms on journalism rather than technology infrastructure by joining forces with organizations with similar challenges and goals.

Insight: This is an ecosystem mindset that will contribute to a rising tide that lifts all boats.

5) They want to build internal capacity — not just launch a one-off shiny object

Success means more than "we built something." Newsrooms define success as feeling confident exploring AI tools within organizational goals, developing shared language for experimentation, and knowing where to start when facing new challenges.

Implication: The Lab’s long-term impact will be measured as much by confidence and fluency as by specific product outputs.

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.