Small, local newsrooms and academic journalism partnerships in the United States are grappling with significant challenges, from financial strain and staff shortages to the rise of "news deserts." These issues severely limit their ability to provide essential local coverage and uphold democratic functions. The team at The Oglethorpe Echo partnered with YESEO, an AI-powered tool to address these critical inefficiencies. 

The problem: Doing more with less in “news deserts”

Financial pressures, amongst other challenges, have led to widespread closures, creating "news deserts" with no local journalism. As Amanda Bright, instructor and assistant editor of The Echo noted, "Most local newspapers like the small ones in the US have one or two reporters tops and they're covering these huge areas and they're just not able to serve people the way they need to be in a functioning democracy." This severely limits their ability to serve communities effectively and uphold a functioning democracy. The core issue boils down to doing more with less, as the appetite for news remains high while resources dwindle. These newsrooms struggle to generate sufficient revenue and audience growth, partly because they spend an inordinate amount of time on repetitive tasks.

Another critical inefficiency, particularly within news-academic partnerships, is the high turnover rate. Students and new employees frequently need extensive onboarding to understand their beat, community, and key local figures. This process is time-consuming, often delaying actual journalistic work and relying heavily on editors or ad-hoc internet searches. Without a systematic way to quickly get new staff up to speed, newsrooms lose valuable time and resources, hindering their ability to produce timely and in-depth reporting.

Building the solution: Creating efficiencies in news production

Recognising these challenges, the team behind YESEO aimed to leverage AI to create newsroom efficiencies. The initial concept, spearheaded by YESEO founder, Ryan Restivo, built upon a pre-existing Slack-based AI tool that integrated with Google Trends. This tool helped with tasks like headline writing and social media messaging. However, the grant funding from JournalismAI allowed the team to deeply invest, grow, and specifically target the app's capabilities based on direct feedback from local newsrooms. The goal was to understand what truly helped them increase revenue, subscriptions, and efficiency.

The project focused on The Oglethorpe Echo, a news-academic partnership in Georgia, as its beta test site. Early surveys and qualitative conversations with other newsrooms and academic partnerships informed the development. The solution centered on addressing two primary inefficiencies. First, YESEO streamlined content production for various platforms. It assisted in generating headlines, social media posts, and newsletter content, preventing reporters from starting from a blank page for every new output. This significantly saved time, especially on days when creativity was low or a fresh approach was needed for basic production tasks post-reporting.

Second, and unexpectedly, the project developed a crucial onboarding and backgrounding solution. Recognising the high churn in academic newsrooms, YESEO was designed to help new students and reporters quickly learn about people, places, trends, and topics within the community. Instead of solely relying on editors or random online searches, the Slack-based app allowed users to input names or organisations. The AI then performed an LLM analysis, providing information like contact details, past quotes, an analysis of perspectives on key issues, and a broader understanding of individuals' viewpoints. For example, it could quickly summarise what a county commissioner has said about solar farms, including quotes and historical context. This systematic approach drastically reduced the time needed for new staff to get up to speed, freeing them to focus on journalism sooner.

Restivo emphasised that the data used for these profiles and analyses within YESEO comes exclusively from The Echo's own published articles. This ensures that the information is authoritative and relevant to the local context, particularly in rural communities where public figures may not have extensive online profiles elsewhere. The tool also allows newsroom staff to add notes and update information, creating a continually growing and accessible knowledge base that can be shared across different classes and reporting periods.

The opportunities

The impact of YESEO extended beyond mere efficiency. The project demonstrated tangible positive outcomes in audience growth and revenue generation. The increased efficiencies in digital product creation and the enhanced context in reporting allowed The Echo to move faster. This freedom enabled them to add a new "in-depth storytelling" beat, supporting two new reporters in producing long-form, deeper dives. They also significantly ramped up video production, successfully monetising it through digital ads.

Metrics revealed an increase in digital ad sales, subscriptions, and overall analytics. While multiple factors contribute to such metrics, these sharp increases were unprecedented for The Echo over the past four years, indicating a correlation with the implementation of YESEO. The project underscored that improved internal efficiencies directly translate into more resources for audience engagement and revenue-generating activities.

The demand for practical, ethical AI tools is evident. As Restivo and Bright presented YESEO at various conferences and press associations, the consistent feedback was, "We want that," says Bright. This highlights a widespread interest in AI that moves beyond philosophical discussions to deliver tangible, useful solutions for newsrooms. The tool’s integration into Slack, a platform already used by many newsrooms, further enhances its appeal by providing a multi-dimensional solution within a familiar environment, minimising the learning curve and promoting collaboration.

Lessons for newsrooms

• Prioritise transparency and ethics: Ensure proactive communication about AI usage and emphasise human oversight to build crucial trust within the community.

• Address specific newsroom needs: AI implementation must focus on specific, real-world pain points within newsroom workflows, rather than creating tools for technology's sake. Deep engagement with staff is essential to find the most impactful support areas.

• Foster flexibility and experimentation: Cultivate a culture of adaptability and be willing to change course as new needs emerge. Encourage staff participation in AI product development.

• Leverage existing local knowledge: Utilise organisational knowledge, such as newsroom archives, to ensure AI outputs are accurate, relevant, and tailored to the local context, which is key for credibility.