Artificial intelligence is quickly reshaping every industry, and local news is no exception. During the panel, leaders shared how they are embracing AI not as a threat, but as a powerful tool to enhance efficiency and engagement.
“It’s a tremendous tool… lots of opportunities to make it easier for people to do better work faster,” said Jeff Johnson, Senior VP at Hearst, President and Group Head of Hearst Newspapers.
Traci Bauer, VP at Adams Publishing Group, experienced the early resistance to digital tools in the 1990s and noted how much the mood has changed.
“There’s concern, but more than that, I’m sensing a lot of hope that these tools can take some of the workload off,” she said. “It’s been a refreshing change.”
Hearst has gone a step further by partnering with OpenAI. The partnership allows AI systems to train on Hearst content—a controversial but strategic move to stay at the forefront of AI-driven discovery platforms.
“We want to be part of this,” said Johnson. “And we’re starting to get data back. It’s really good on news and local.”
The consensus: AI will reshape how content is delivered and discovered, but with thoughtful implementation, it can amplify the value of local journalism.
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