Marisa Porto, former newsroom leader and current academic, draws on her extensive industry experience to address critical challenges facing modern journalism, especially as newsrooms rapidly adopt Artificial Intelligence technologies. Her research centers on building sustainable business models that keep editorial integrity intact while integrating powerful emerging tools responsibly.
Porto notes that with at least 70% of newsrooms now using Artificial Intelligence, the technology is reshaping essential workflows including content creation, data analysis, sales, and audience personalization. She highlights its role in significantly improving production and operational efficiency, enhancing how news organizations collect and interpret data, and enabling tailored content delivery to diverse audiences.
However, Porto also warns that these advancements come with significant hurdles. Ethical challenges include transparency, the need for employee retraining, and the critical maintenance of public trust. Copyright concerns loom large, given that machine learning tools often ingest news content without proper attribution, raising new questions about intellectual property that are yet to be resolved in global courts. Porto emphasizes that, despite the increasing use of automated tools for translation, transcription, data analysis, and multimedia content generation, journalists retain responsibility for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of what they publish.
In her teaching, Porto prioritizes discussions about the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. Students are mandated to disclose how such tools contribute to their assignments, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability. Looking ahead, Porto stresses the need for strategic planning and ethical leadership in news organizations, urging them to leverage Artificial Intelligence wisely to expand audiences and streamline operations without losing sight of their core journalistic values.
