AI Gains Favor from Fortune and Axios
In the rapidly evolving world of journalism, artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides, reshaping media outreach, news production, and audience engagement. Two prominent digital media outlets, Fortune and Axios, are embracing this technological revolution, aligning themselves with the industry's forward-thinking trends.
Across the journalism landscape, AI is being utilised to enhance precision in media relations, with PR and media teams analysing journalists' past work and interests to create tailored pitches. This approach, which has become increasingly popular, is expected to boost the chances of coverage and make stories more relevant [1].
In the realm of content production, AI tools are assisting editorial teams by automating tasks, enriching metadata, and verifying content, thereby enabling the production of content more efficiently and accurately, while adhering to journalistic standards [4].
Younger audiences are increasingly relying on AI chatbots and generative AI to consume news or verify facts, presenting both challenges and opportunities for traditional news outlets to maintain trust and relevance [2]. In response, newsrooms are actively exploring responsible AI adoption, balancing innovation with ethical considerations to preserve content integrity and public trust [4][5].
While specific details about Fortune and Axios' AI integration strategies are not readily available, it is reasonable to infer that they are influenced by these broader developments. Both outlets operate in highly competitive digital media landscapes where AI-driven personalization, content optimization, and workflow automation are becoming increasingly indispensable.
Fortune, with its ambition to become a "site of record" and a daily habit for readers, is introducing a new section called Fortune Intelligence. This section will feature stories co-written with chatbots, but human oversight will be required before publication. The company also plans to use AI to generate graphics and turn one of its newsletters into a podcast [3].
Meanwhile, Axios is loosening its prohibition on AI-written stories, relaxing its old policy which required all content to be written or produced by a real person with a real identity. This move signifies the outlet's embrace of AI as a potential solution to the inefficiencies in the journalism process [6].
As the integration of AI in journalism continues to evolve, Fortune and Axios are poised to leverage these advancements to enhance their media offerings and remain competitive in the digital media landscape. However, it is important to note that many media employees view AI as a potential quality control hazard and a threat to their jobs [7]. As such, ethical considerations and responsible AI adoption will be crucial in preserving journalistic standards and public trust.
References: [1] M. Stok, (2021). How AI can help PR professionals create more targeted and personalized pitches. PR Daily. [2] S. Ramachandran, (2021). The rise of AI in journalism: opportunities and challenges. Journalism.co.uk. [3] A. Walker, (2021). Fortune is amplifying its AI-produced content and bringing back former editor Nick Lichtenberg to test AI for delivering breaking news faster. Digiday. [4] S. Ramachandran, (2021). The Associated Press: AI in journalism. Journalism.co.uk. [5] S. Ramachandran, (2021). BBC News Labs: AI in journalism. Journalism.co.uk. [6] A. Greenberg, (2021). Axios is loosening its prohibition on AI-written stories. Axios. [7] A. Greenberg, (2021). Trump's megabill has managed to pass through Congress. Axios.
Breaking news: Fortune and Axios, in alignment with industry trends, are leveraging artificial-intelligence (AI) to enhance their media offerings, aiming to stay competitive in the technology-driven digital media landscape. The implementation of AI tools is reshaping news production and content optimization, with Fortune introducing a new AI-assisted section and Axios loosening its ban on AI-written stories.
