ISSUE

Summer 2023

Riding the A.I. Wave

From image generators like DALL-E to the chatbot ChatGPT, artificial intelligence has experienced a boom recently — and journalists are beginning to grapple with what its new popularity will mean for the profession.

While some have shared concerns that AI would replace human writers and riddle the internet with plagiarism and misinformation, Nieman Reports’ Summer 2023 issue spotlights the ways newsrooms are using AI to bolster their work. Because they can translate stories into multiple languages and send personalized newsletters to subscribers in a fraction of the time it would take a human, AI has allowed publications to expand their reach, better engage their audiences, and free up journalists’ time to focus more on their reporting.

Articles

Tending to the Details

From the Curator

Tending to the Details

As newsrooms hollow out and deepfakes become more prevalent, the need for mentors is greater than ever

Ann Marie Lipinski

A Dangerous Flight in ISIS Territory

Visual Journalism

A Dangerous Flight in ISIS Territory

Moises Saman, NF ’23, on documenting the desperation of the Iraq war

A Billionaire, A TV Network, And The Fight for a Free Press in India

Features International Journalism

A Billionaire, A TV Network, And The Fight for a Free Press in India

The hostile takeover of NDTV — one of India’s last channels willing to report critically on the Modi government — leaves few independent voices during a critical election cycle

"Now I Know Why My Wife Was Fired from Her Government Job"

Features

“Now I Know Why My Wife Was Fired from Her Government Job”

In the age of digital surveillance, protecting sources vulnerable to retaliation requires an analog mindset

Celeste Katz Marston

Covering Climate as an Indigenous Affairs Beat

Niemans @ Work

Covering Climate as an Indigenous Affairs Beat

Tristan Ahtone, NF ’18, on harnessing the expertise of Indigenous journalists to report on the environment Think about this metaphor from Indigenous and disabled climate justice expert Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Kāi…

Turning a 21-Second Football Play into a 264-Page Book

Niemans @ Work

Turning a 21-Second Football Play into a 264-Page Book

Tyler Bridges, NF ’12, on writing about the craziest finish in college sports history It was December 2016, and my daughter Luciana and I were sitting in an outdoor jacuzzi…

Smart Ways Journalists Can Exploit Artificial Intelligence

Features

Smart Ways Journalists Can Exploit Artificial Intelligence

Chatbots may reinvent the way we write news, but AI is also helping newsrooms connect with readers and reach new audiences

Reporting from Gaziantep

Features

Reporting from Gaziantep

In the wake of a brutal civil war, exiled Syrian journalists have carved out space in this Turkish city for their independent newsrooms

Stefania D'Ignoti

How One Journalist Unearthed the Secret History of Family Separation

Live @ Lippmann

How One Journalist Unearthed the Secret History of Family Separation

Atlantic reporter Caitlin Dickerson on how she produced the 30,000-word investigation on Trump’s Zero Tolerance border policy

How a Trip to Angola Helped One Reporter Tell the Story of Race in America

Sounding

How a Trip to Angola Helped One Reporter Tell the Story of Race in America

Deborah Barfield Berry, NF '23, on covering slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and the murder of George Floyd

Deborah Barfield Berry

Why Retired Journalists Are Jumping Back into the Profession

Journalist’s Trade

Why Retired Journalists Are Jumping Back into the Profession

They're founding startups, coaching young reporters, and serving on boards to bridge the gap left by the industry's contraction