Let’s admit it. AI has become the elephant in the room. Everyone is talking about it and many people fear it. TV news reporters, anchors, and meteorologists are not immune to this apprehension.
Almost everyone harbors some concern that AI will eventually render their jobs obsolete. As such, nationally renowned TV news talent agent Mort Meisner is often asked by his clients if they should be nervous about the effect of AI on broadcast journalism.
While Mort can’t see into the future, he is the first to acknowledge to his clients that AI is a threat to broadcast journalism. Just maybe not in the ways they’re thinking.
The Silver Lining of AI in Broadcast Journalism
Here’s the thing.
AI is not an altogether evil entity coming after everybody’s job. Major and minor news organizations are taking advantage of AI’s ability to do things like transcribe interviews, analyze datasets, and summarize large documents so reporters have more time to manage complex and creative work.
Its adeptness at quickly processing information allows it to help uncover stories that are otherwise hidden within huge volumes of data, which could be easily overlooked. In addition, it can produce graphics and pore over audience analytics, which, in turn, enables journalists to experiment with new formats and reach more diverse audiences.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Yet, AI Is a Threat to Broadcast Journalism
There’s no doubt that AI is a threat to broadcast journalism. First off, all of the above-listed benefits of AI translate to efficiency gains that could result in fewer jobs and increased pressure to produce content more quickly. This can compromise the accuracy of such content. Particularly if news organizations don’t recognize this pitfall.
Plus, AI-generated misinformation and fabricated audio/video using a person’s likeness (i.e. deepfakes) make it challenging for people to know what’s real and build trust. This undermines the credibility of broadcast news, where trust is essential. What’s more, it uses predictive statistics to create content. The end result? Generic and unoriginal storytelling that lacks the empathy and critical thinking provided by human journalists.
Finally, AI models are trained on overwhelming amounts of existing news content. This content is often scraped without permission or compensation, which threatens the financial viability of news organizations. This is especially difficult for local broadcasters who don’t have enough resources to attempt negotiations with behemoth tech giants.
What It All Means
What most experts believe at this point is that AI is not a significant threat to human-led journalism. Just check out the first AI-generated anchorperson in China and see how steely and robotic he is.
AI does, however, pose a threat to news organizations that are blind to its impact and fail to adapt in a responsible way. So it’s important that news organizations focus on developing ethical guidelines for using AI as a powerful tool that works in tandem with and even accentuates the human elements of integrity, accountability, and reporting.
In other words, organizations that commit to doing what it takes to ensure that AI supports journalism rather than exploiting it are going to be far more trustworthy. They’re going to be the ones to watch, and the most reputable with whom to work as TV news talent.
Are You Nervous About the Future of AI?
If you’re a TV news reporter, anchor, sports reporter, or meteorologist, it’s normal to be concerned that AI is a threat to broadcast journalism.
But by working with a highly experienced TV news agent like Mort Meisner, you can be certain you’ll always be steered in the right direction and toward an organization that will be right for you.
So contact Mort today. And start making a real name for yourself in the industry.
