Identifying and Addressing Problems in Journalism Using Generative AI
Our final group project for the Digital Technology and Social Strategy class aimed to address a problem in journalism using generative AI tools. The project involved identifying a specific issue in journalism, creating a script for a video, and using generative AI to produce the video.
To identify and address issues in journalism, my project partner and I utilized ChatGPT to explore various niche problems in journalism and propose potential solutions.
My project partner and I used ChatGPT to give us multiple niche problems in journalism today and to provide a solution.
We asked ChatGPT this: “Identify and then create a solution to a niche, unique problem in journalism.”
It replied with the following:
”One niche problem in journalism revolves around combating misinformation and verifying user-generated content (UGC) in real-time. The challenge lies in swiftly assessing the credibility of user-contributed information amid breaking news situations. To address this, an AI-powered platform called "VeriCheck" could be developed:
VeriCheck: Real-time User-Generated Content Verification Platform
During breaking news events, journalists often struggle to verify the authenticity of user-generated content flooding social media platforms. This can lead to the dissemination of misinformation or delay in reporting accurate news
During breaking news events, journalists often struggle to verify the authenticity of user-generated content flooding social media platforms. This can lead to the dissemination of misinformation or delay in reporting accurate news
Solution Overview:
VeriCheck is an AI-driven platform designed to swiftly verify user-generated content for journalists and news agencies. Leveraging advanced algorithms, VeriCheck employs various techniques to assess the credibility of content in real-time.
Key Features:
Image and Video Analysis: VeriCheck uses image recognition and reverse image search algorithms to verify the authenticity of photos and videos uploaded by users. It can detect image manipulation, identify original sources, and cross-verify against known databases.
Social Media Sentiment Analysis: The platform employs sentiment analysis tools to gauge the credibility of social media posts by analyzing user comments, engagement patterns, and historical data to determine the trustworthiness of the source.
Source Reputation Scoring: VeriCheck assigns a reputation score to user-generated content sources based on their historical credibility. This score helps journalists quickly assess the reliability of a particular user or account.
Real-time Verification Dashboard: Journalists can access a user-friendly dashboard that displays real-time verification results, providing them with instant insights into the credibility of UGC.
Collaborative Verification Tools: VeriCheck allows journalists to collaborate and validate content collectively. It facilitates communication and collaboration among journalists and fact-checkers to collectively verify information.
Machine Learning for Continuous Improvement: The platform utilizes machine learning to constantly improve its algorithms by learning from verified and debunked content, enhancing its accuracy over time.
Implementation and Impact:
VeriCheck would serve as a valuable tool for journalists and news agencies, enabling them to verify user-generated content swiftly and accurately during breaking news situations. It would minimize the spread of misinformation, uphold journalistic integrity, and enhance the speed of delivering reliable news to the public.
Conclusion:
By addressing the challenge of verifying user-generated content in real-time, VeriCheck aims to revolutionize journalism by providing a robust solution that empowers journalists to authenticate information swiftly and maintain the highest standards of accuracy and credibility in reporting.”
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Issues we ran into
When using ChatGPT, we faced issues with specificity in directions. Despite requesting ChatGPT to exclude brackets from the script, it continued to generate the script with the unwanted brackets. Additionally, while creating the video using Pictory, I encountered difficulties where the visuals generated did not align with the uploaded script.
Overall, the project provided valuable insights into the potential of generative AI tools in addressing journalism issues, albeit with certain limitations and challenges in implementation and execution.
Blog One: Raising Cane’s Website Evaluation
It all begins with an idea.
The website I chose to evaluate is Raising Cane’s. I did not know what to expect as I don’t frequent websites for food chains, but I was pleasantly surprised by the visuals and organization.
Visual Approach
The homepage greets you with a high-quality and well-shot video on a loop showcasing Raising Cane’s chicken fingers. They incorporate graphics, a gallery of photos, and video to engage the user.
They use hierarchy well with different-sized headings. Only two to three fonts are used and are consistent throughout the site. The primary colors are white, tan, black, and red; red is used frequently as an accent color.
As you drag your cursor over the menu options on the homepage, they are spotlighted with a red background. The menu scrolls from left to right, which is not obvious at first glance.
Further, consistency of quality is lacking as some of the photos are grainy and pixelated. There are photos that are very high quality, but others look as if the file size was compressed.
An element of the homepage that stood out to me was the map of the United States with all its locations dotted across it.
I also really liked the “Who We Are” page. It was very visually appealing, guiding the user’s eyes down the page with its “map” theme.
Overall, each block on a page is organized and has a good balance of text and photos.
Navigation
Their navigation buttons are centered at the top and are divided into six categories– Menu, Locations, Careers, Who We Are, Community Partnerships, and Gift Cards & Gear. As you scroll down the page, the navigation bar sticks, allowing for a better user experience. All links work and load quickly without any glitches. Each navigation menu links to the same page except for “Careers” and “Gift Cards & Gear.”
The “Menu” and “Who We Are” pages have anchor points so that the user can quickly jump to a specific section by clicking on the heading.
There is not an explicit button to go back to the homepage, but if you click on the logo in the upper left corner, it takes them directly to it.
Conclusion
I would rate the website an 8/10. The visuals are clean and fit their branding perfectly, and the navigation keeps accessibility in mind. The website could be improved if every photo was in high quality.
Hear Me Out: Evaluating a Podcast
It all begins with an idea.
The podcast I chose to evaluate is called “Bulgogi Pod,” hosted by a girl named Hana. It is described as “a lifestyle, comedy podcast for anyone trying to navigate their 20s, Hana talks with her guests on all things popular culture, dating, and personal revelations.”
Throughout the summer, I've made it a habit to listen to "Bulgogi Pod" during my daily walks. Hana releases episodes every Tuesday, and they are usually about 20 to 50 minutes long. I enjoy her episodes as she discusses growing up Asian and being in your 20s— two things I can relate to. Hana often invites guests who bring fresh perspectives and experiences, keeping her podcast interesting while staying relevant to the episode’s topic. Moreover, She chats about other self-help subjects and trends I love that keep me coming back every week.
Starting off with the strengths of Bulgogi Pod. First and foremost, Hana's unwavering commitment to her audience show in her consistent Tuesday releases. In the time I've been following her podcast, she has only missed one upload, demonstrating reliability. In terms of marketing and outreach, Hana leverages Instagram to notify her followers when a new episode drops. Furthermore, one of the standout features of the podcast is its captivating cover art. Vibrant, lively, and effortlessly trendy, the cover art perfectly mirrors the essence of the podcast. She also posts video clips highlighting past episodes, which serves as a perfect introduction for newcomers.
Onto the production of the podcast, Hana uses a professional mic for audio recording and films using a high-quality camera. Her audio is what I like to describe as “crispy.” and her mic eliminates background noise and static.
Despite the podcast's casual nature, Hana maintains focus by adhering to key themes, and she conveniently includes timestamps in the episode description to guide listeners through major discussion points.
However, "Bulgogi Pod" does have some areas where it could improve. While it offers both audio and video content, the absence of captions or transcripts makes it less accessible to individuals with hearing impairments or those who prefer to read the content. Additionally, the podcast's informal style means that it isn't heavily edited. While this lends authenticity, it occasionally leads to lengthy tangents that could benefit from some trimming or structure.
In conclusion, "Bulgogi Pod" is an enjoyable and relatable podcast that has resonated with me through Hana's unique blend of humor and vulnerability. Its strengths, including consistent releases, engaging marketing efforts, and high-quality audio, have kept me hooked. However, the podcast could enhance its accessibility and maintain listener engagement by addressing its weaknesses, such as the lack of captions and occasional unedited tangents. Overall, "Bulgogi Pod" offers a delightful listening experience for anyone navigating the complexities of their 20s.
This or That: The Podcast
It all begins with an idea.
Welcome to ‘This or That.’ A podcast hosted by me! It explores the delightful art of decision-making, and each week, we'll dive deep into the choices that make us who we are. From pop culture to pizza toppings, I'll ask my guests to pick between this or that. So, grab your thinking caps and get ready to answer the burning question: What would you choose?
This or That: Ep. 2
It all begins with an idea.
Welcome to ‘This or That.’ A podcast hosted by me! It explores the delightful art of decision-making, and each week, we'll dive deep into the choices that make us who we are. From pop culture to pizza toppings, I'll ask my guests to pick between this or that. So, grab your thinking caps and get ready to answer the burning question: What would you choose?
On this episode of ‘This or That,’ I ask, “Which is superior? Tiktok or Instagram?”
Comment below what you would choose!