Journalism in the AI Era: Opportunities and challenges in the Global South and Emerging Economies

Abstract

An AI revolution in journalism is reshaping how we produce, distribute and consume news. This transformation promises creativity and innovation in newsrooms. However, it also presents significant challenges in areas such as ethics and equity. Existing narratives about AI adoption are often Western-centric, yet access to this technology differs worldwide, as do the problems faced by journalists and newsrooms.  To address this imbalance, in October 2024, the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) surveyed more than 200 journalists – all alumni of our training programmes – from 70+ countries across the Global South and emerging economies to explore their adoption of AI, as well as their hopes and fears about journalism in the AI era.