Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration consultant for newsroom operations

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity, which uses media and communications to help reduce poverty, address development goals, and support people to understand their rights. We do this through partnering with media, civil society, and others to produce creative programmes and other outputs which inform and engage audiences on key development issues. We also strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure of local media organisations in the countries in which we work.

We work in 24 countries around the world, reaching more than 100 million people a year.

We are seeking applications to establish a pool of highly qualified individuals to guide and assist partner media organisations in harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence and AI technologies within their newsroom working collaboratively with them to streamline their workflows, improve news gathering, audience engagement, content distribution, and ensure the sustainable management of media as a business, improving efficiency and overall media viability. Please note that being part of the pool does not guarantee immediate employment. The details of successful applicants will be kept on file and contacted where specific opportunities arise, depending on our organisational needs. Pool members are not expected to commit to individual opportunities in advance and are at liberty to refuse offers as they arise. We thank all applicants for their interest in BBC Media Action and look forward to reviewing your applications. If you have any questions, please contact us on [email protected].

Scope of work
Experts in the pool will be responsible for:

• Conducting research and analysis to identify AI integration challenges and opportunities; and evaluating the long-term impact of AI on journalism, including ethical, operational, and societal dimensions.

• Developing strategic plans and guidelines for AI adoption in journalistic and media operations.

• Designing and delivering training programmes for newsroom staff on AI tools and ethical practices.

• Consulting on the implementation of AI technologies, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and ethical standards.

  As such, experts in this pool will work on a range of strategic and tool-oriented objectives to:

  Strategic direction and implications of AI on the newsroom (research and policy).
  Using existing knowledge and understanding, and in consultation with key stakeholders, including media partners, civil society organisations, governments, and other interest groups:

• Assessing the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and journalists working within media outlets. This assessment should cover the ethical, operational, and societal implications of AI integration. It should explore the implications of AI on the global disparity among newsrooms, focusing on the north/south divide and the gap between resource-rich and resource-poor organisations. It should evaluate current policies and approaches, identify potential risks and benefits, and recommend strategies for responsible AI use in journalistic practices. Recommendations should be provided for enhancing ethical standards, operational efficiency, and societal benefits through both policy development and effective implementation strategies. Real-world case studies will illustrate the practical implications of AI in the journalism sector, with a clear focus on both immediate and future impacts. It would also consider the influence of big tech ownership of AI infrastructure on the news industry and explore strategies for equity, independence, and innovation.

• Analysis on the readiness of newsrooms to invest in necessary infrastructure for scaling AI integration and experimentation.

  Responsible AI within the newsroom (Editorial and technical).

• In collaboration with media partners, identify and assess opportunities for AI integration within newsroom workflows to enhance operational efficiency and content quality.

• Develop comprehensive strategies for incorporating AI technologies to improve audience understanding, news gathering, content distribution, cost-efficiency, and media business management.

• Support media outlets to introduce, design or revise editorial guidelines to incorporate ethical considerations, best practices for AI usage in journalism, and strategies to mitigate risks associated with AI, such as misinformation and bias. Ensure that guidelines and practices developed consider the impact of AI on news accuracy, source verification, misinformation prevention, transparency, accountability, and ethics.

• Create and share resources, manuals, and best practice guides for the ongoing adaptation and ethical use of AI in journalistic practices.

  Practical use of AI tools in the newsroom.

• Conduct training sessions on AI tools for transcription, content creation, and workflow optimisation.

• Support media outlets in implementing AI tools to better understand audience preferences, consumption behaviours, and enable personalised content delivery and optimised content distribution.

• Identify tools, and train journalists in using AI for real-time source verification, fact-checking, and identifying misinformation and disinformation.

• Facilitate training in AI for data analysis and visualisation of large quantitative datasets, as well as analysis of qualitative data like interviews and transcripts to support storytelling and investigative reporting.

• Identify AI tools and train newsroom staff on monitoring social media and other sources for story development and audience engagement.

• Identify tools to enhance the business operations of the newsroom, facilitating improved project management and operational efficiencies.

  Required skills for all applications:

• Deep understanding of ethical considerations, bias mitigation, transparency, and accountability in the use of AI in journalism.

• Ability to lead projects focused on the implementation of AI technologies, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with strategic objectives.

• Knowledge of legal implications and ethical standards in journalism, particularly as they relate to AI and digital technologies.

• Experience in strategic planning for AI integration that align with organisational goals and enhance media viability.

  Technical skills and experiences:

  While we seek a diverse range of technical skills, we do not expect applicants to master all the listed competencies. Instead, we value proficiency in specific areas that align with their desired application focus.

• Familiarity with generative AI tools for producing written content, summarising texts, or even generating creative visual materials.

• Skills in leveraging AI for uncovering stories, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, and supporting investigative journalism.

• Experience with project management and workflow automation tools that integrate AI capabilities, to enhance efficiency in newsroom operations.

• Knowledge of specific AI tools designed for fact-checking and source verification, such as Full Fact’s AI fact-checker or tools for image and video source verification.

• Proficiency in AI-powered social media monitoring tools which provide insights into trends, audience sentiment, and engagement opportunities.

• Expertise in using AI-powered transcription and translation tools to support content accessibility and multilingual reporting.

• Familiarity with AI-driven analytics and personalisation to understand audience behaviour and deliver personalised content.

• Expertise in conducting research on audience behaviour, preferences, and engagement strategies using AI-driven insights.

• Expertise in analysing large datasets and visualising data in accessible formats for investigative reporting and audience insights.

• Skills in processing and analysing text data, enabling applications like content creation, summarisation, and sentiment analysis.

• Experience in updating editorial guidelines and policies to include AI use, focusing on ethical standards and best practices.

  Safeguarding

  This role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children, youth, and adults. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. A police background check may form part of the recruitment process