The Triumph
/Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. -Henry Louis Mencken
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
14 Media Webinars This Week about AI, Journalism, Podcasting, & More
/Mon, Aug 26 - Beyond the Headlines: Voices of Palestinian Women in Journalism and Media
What: This initiative focuses on women in media and the unique role women play in shaping stories coming out of the Middle East, with specific attention to the current crisis in Gaza. It highlights the voices of three incredible Palestinian women working at the intersections of journalism and media.
Who: Tamar Haddad, full-time And Still We Rise Coordinator; Faten Alwan, a seasoned storyteller and journalist, narrates stories from the heart of conflict zones; Rana Abu Farha is a senior journalist and program presenter with over fifteen years of professional experience in national media; Rula Salameh is a veteran journalist, community organizer, and the Education and Outreach Director in Palestine for Just Vision, an organization that fills a media gap in Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Churches for Middle East Peace
Mon, Aug 26 - How to turn your election coverage from horse-race to pro-democracy
What: This training will help journalists have working understanding of pro-democracy journalism and its impact, develop reporting plans for thematic election stories, and pull from a set of quick tips to immediately elevate their coverage beyond the horse race.
Who: Beatrice Forman and Jaisal Noor — two organizers with U.S. Democracy Day.
When: 5 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists, Washington Chapter
Tues, Aug 27 - Foreign Correspondents: A Discussion with John Maxwell Hamilton
What: John Maxwell Hamilton will talk about the history of American foreign reporting, local/global story possibilities and his assessment of the current way US media outlets cover international events.
Who: John Maxwell Hamilton, journalist, author and journalism professor; Nerissa Young, Professor of instruction in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
Wed, Aug 28 - AI Is The Solution To Media’s Knowledge Crisis
What: Get actionable insights and detailed examples of how media companies and agencies are using AI to manage knowledge and foster collaboration and innovation. You’ll find out: The extent of the media industry’s current knowledge management issues and their impact on productivity and innovation; How AI can revolutionize knowledge management by filtering out noise, uncovering insights and streamlining workflows; Real-world examples of companies like Condé Nast and Ogilvy, which have successfully integrated AI into their knowledge management systems.
Who: Tariq Rauf, Tariq Rauf CEO and Founder, Qatalog
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Qatlalog
Wed, Aug 28 - Resisting misinformation in your election reporting
What: This briefing will offer research-backed strategies and tools to help reporters recognize and verify material of questionable validity and correct misinformation without inadvertently amplifying it. Three panelists will make brief presentations and then take reporter questions on the record.
Who: Dr. Cuihua Shen, University of California, Davis; Dr. Kate Starbird, University of Washington; Dr. Briony Swire-Thompson, Northeastern University; SciLine Director Rick Weiss
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: New England Newspaper & Press Association
Wed, Aug 28 - Supercharge Learning with Augmented Reality!
What: Ready to ditch static marketing materials and uninspiring events? This webinar is your guide to the future of learning and engagement - Augmented Reality (AR)! We'll break down the power of AR, then explore how to use it to: Craft Interactive Marketing: Imagine brochures that come alive with AR! Watch product demos, explore 3D models, or access additional learning content. Spark excitement for your learning events before they even begin.
Who: Destery Hildenbrand XR Solution Architect, Intellezy
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
Wed, Aug 28 - Putting Your Print Foot in the Podcasting World
What: Today’s media job market is all about the pivot. So how do you put your print foot into the podcasting world? That’s what we’ll explore with a panel of experts who’ve made the leap from print to podcasting, and in some cases, back to print. How do you jump into podcasting? How is producing or writing for a podcast different from writing for print? Where do you learn that? How do you get podcast ideas funded?
Who: Carra Mallory, freelance podcast producer & writer, working in the past on Spotify podcasts Disappearances, Serial Killers, and Conspiracy Theories; Matt Frassica, independent podcast producer who has most recently worked on The Bag Game, a series for ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast. He has piloted podcasts for the New York Times and PBS; Stacy St. Clair, investigative reporter, Chicago Tribune who worked with colleague Christy Gutowski on the podcast, Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders. The podcast was accompanied by a six-part print series in the newspaper.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalism
Thu, Aug 29 - AI Policies for Grantmakers: How to Manage Risk and Harness AI for Good
What: Learn how a small but growing number of grantmakers are creating internal policies that aim to minimize risk while also ensuring that they can leverage AI for good. During this interactive session, we’ll cover the unique risks AI poses for funders, provide a rationale for creating an internal AI policy, and discuss what to consider as you build your own policy. We’ll also share real-life examples of AI policies that can help you shape a protocol that you can use at your organization.
Who: Ray Borkman Sr. Marketing Manager Blackbaud; Peter Panepento Co-Founder and Managing Partner Turn Two
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Blackbaud
Thu, Aug 29 - Election Coverage 101
What: By attending this class, you'll learn: - How to approach voters and find relevant, timely sources for your stories. How to identify new election-related stories and report on under-served communities. How to localize stories about national elections and keep election coverage relevant to your audience.
Who: Emma Platoff The Boston Globe
When: 12 noon
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: New England First Amendment Coalition
Thu, Aug 29 - Emerging Tech and the Future of Accessibility
What: An expert panel discussion exploring the positive potential of technological innovation to transform society for the better by increasing accessibility for all.
Who: Alex Ambrose Policy Analyst Moderator; Scott Code Vice President, Center for Aging Services Technologies LeadingAge; Kai Frazier Founder & CEO Kai XR; Brian Switzer Program Manager for Accessibility Technology, Training, and Research The Carroll Center for the Blind.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
Thu, Aug 29 - Depolarize the news: Avoiding common pitfalls that make coverage feel biased
What: In this training, we’ll talk about how journalists can avoid common pitfalls that often can send signals of bias and alienate people from news coverage.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Trusting News
Thu, Aug 29 - Mental health and election reporting
What: journalists will contribute anonymously to a series of prompts to learn actionable insights for reassessing and repairing their relationships with work. Created specifically for those working within a news organization, this session will help journalists assess where they sit on the stress spectrum, understand what is inside and outside of their control and self-prescribe a set of actions for election season to combat their unique blend of burnout.
Who: Samantha Ragland, API’s vice president of journalism programs, formally a member of the faculty at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies where she also served as director of the Leadership Academy for Women in Media.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: American Press Institute and Associated Press
Thu, Aug 29 - Using Articulate Storyline 360 to Create Interactive Learning Lessons
What: Examples and demonstrate how easily Storyline can help you build interactive learning lessons with any content. We will explore how Slides, States, Layers, and Triggers work together to build any exercise you can imagine. We will also show and discuss how Variables and Conditions can be used for more advanced solutions.
Who: Ron Price Chief Learning Officer, Yukon Learning; Tom Kuhlmann Chief Learning Architect, Articulate
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
Thu, Aug 29 - Putting AI to Work for You and Your Students: The Practical Pieces
What: Learn how you can use what Khan Academy has available, free for teachers, for leveraging artificial intelligence to help students get unstuck and to assist teachers with administrative tasks and lesson planning. The panalists will share tangible ways that AI can be used to spark curiosity in students while supporting teachers with customizable lesson support, resources, and plans.
Who: Kristen DiCerbo, Ph.D. is the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy; Dr. Wendy Amato is the Chief Academic Officer at Teaching Channel’s parent company, K12 Coalition.
When: 4 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Teaching Channel
A Head Case
/Failure has gone to his head. -Wilson Mizner
16 Recent Articles about AI’s future
/How Experts in China and the United Kingdom View AI Risks and Collaboration – Data Innovation
The AI bubble has burst. Here's how we know. – Mashable
Paris gives first glimpse at AI's Olympic future – Axios
How Long Will A.I.’s ‘Slop’ Era Last? – New York Times
Who will control the future of AI? – Washington Post
The first wave of AI innovation is over. Here’s what comes next – Fast Company
Generative AI Hype Cycle Is Hitting ‘Trough of Disillusionment’ – 404 Media
What Messing With Chatbots Tells Us About the Future of AI – New York Magazine
AI Finds That AI Is Great In New Garbage Research From Tony Blair Institute - 404 Media
The future is all bot vs. bot – Axios
The AI hype bubble is deflating. Now comes the hard part. - Washington Post
Tech Exec Predicts Billion-dollar AI Girlfriend Industry - Futurism
China tops the U.S. on AI research in over half of the hottest fields: report – Axios
The Decade Ahead in AI – Situational Awareness
AI optimists crowd out doubters at TED conference – Axios
Eric Schmidt’s AI prophecy: The next two years will shock you – Exponential View
A Personal Notebook
/Successful people track their progress, set goals, reflect, and learn from their mistakes. And they often use some kind notebook to accomplish this. If you want to get somewhere in life, you need a map, and this notebook is that map. You can write down what you did today, what you tried to accomplish, where you made mistakes, and so forth. It’s a place to reflect. It’s a place to capture important thoughts. It’s a place to be able to track where you’ve been and where you intend to go. It’s one of the most underused, yet incredibly effective tools available to the masses.
Setting Goals
/Self-regulation begins with setting goals - not big, life-directing goals, but more immediate goals for what you're going to be doing today. In the research, the poorest performers don't set goals at all; they just slog through their work. Mediocre performers set goals that are general and are often focused on simply achieving a good outcome - win the order; get the new project proposal done. The best performers set goals that are not about the outcome but rather about the process of reaching the outcome.
The best performers are focused on how they could get better at some specific element of the work, just as a pianist may focus on improving a particular passage.
With a goal set, the next step is planning how to reach it. Again, the best performers make the most specific, technique-oriented plans. They're thinking exactly, not vaguely, of how to get where they're going. So if their goal is discerning the customer's unstated needs, their plan for achieving it on that day may be to listen for certain key words the customer might use, or to ask specific questions to bring out the customer's crucial issues.
Geoff Colvin, Why Talent is Overrated
27 Articles about Politics & AI
/FCC pursues new rules for AI in political ads, but changes may not take effect before the election - Associated Press
As AI entrenches itself in the political world, discerning real from fake is critical – NBC Boston
Mayoral candidate vows to let VIC, an AI bot, run Wyoming’s capital city – Washington Post
Brands Love Influencers (Until Politics Get Involved) – New York Times
What AI is doing to campaigns - Politico
See why AI detection tools can fail to catch election deepfakes – Washington Post
Saudi Arabia Spends Big to Become an A.I. Superpower – New York Times
Trump's crowd-photo claims speed AI-driven truth decay – Axios
The brewing storm over California’s AI bill – Semafor
Secretaries of state urge Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading false election info - Washington Post
With Smugglers and Front Companies, China Is Skirting American A.I. Bans - New York Times
A neurological disorder stole her voice. Jennifer Wexton takes it back on the House floor – Associated Press
A Kamala Harris Presidency Could Mean More of the Same on A.I. Regulation - New York Times
California is a battleground for AI bills, as Trump plans to curb regulation - Washington Post
Censorship slows China's AI advances – Axios
US agents shut down huge Russian AI bot farm as fears over misinformation grow – Semafor
A Hacker Stole OpenAI Secrets, Raising Fears That China Could, Too - New York Times
The AI Industry starts to focus on a potential Trump presidency – Semafor
Forget deepfake videos. Text and voice are this election’s true AI threat. – The Hill
The AI election is here. Regulators can’t decide whose problem it is. - Washington Post
Generative AI poses Threat to election security, intelligence agencies warn – CBS News
The Low-Paid Humans Behind AI’s Smarts Ask Biden to Free Them From ‘Modern Day Slavery’ – Wired
UN adopts first resolution on artificial intelligence – Associated Press
Few AI deepfakes identified in EU elections, Microsoft president says – Reuters
The danger of deepfakes is not what you think – Financial Times
J.D. Vance’s A.I. Agenda: Reduce Regulation – New York Times
Over 80% of China’s businesses already use generative AI - Fortune
Trump Promotes A.I. Images to Falsely Suggest Taylor Swift Endorsed Him - New York Times
Success is Misleading
/The Misconception: You should focus on the successful if you wish to become successful.
The Truth: When failure becomes invisible, the difference between failure and success may also become invisible.
David McRaney, Survivorship Bias
22 Articles about AI & Academic Scholarship
/AI tools for researchers: Key insights for librarians to enhance academic support – Springer Nature
OpenResearcher: An Open-Source Project that Harnesses AI to Accelerate Scientific Research – Marktechpost
Has your paper been used to train an AI model? Almost certainly - Nature
Flood Of 'Junk': How AI Is Changing Scientific Publishing - Barrons
How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? - Modern Language Association
AI scientists are producing a host of new theories of how our brains learn – The Economist
Should scientists be paid when AI chatbots use their work? – Chemistry World
Artificial intelligence in scientific medical writing: Legitimate and deceptive uses and ethical concerns – Science Direct
Revisiting the ‘Research Parasite’ Debate in the Age of AI – Undark
AI is complicating plagiarism. How should scientists respond? – Nature
Woefully Insufficient Publisher Policies on Author AI Use Put Research Integrity at Risk – Scholarly Kitchen
Academic authors 'shocked' after Taylor & Francis sells access to their research to Microsoft AI – The Bookseller
Another paper with an anatomically incorrect image has been retracted – Retraction Watch
Universities Don’t Want AI Research to Leave Them Behind – Wall Street Journal
AI Finds That AI Is Great In New Garbage Research From Tony Blair Institute – 404 Media
Delving into ChatGPT usage in academic writing through excess vocabulary - arXiv
AI threatens scientific research with fake papers – The Saturday Paper
The role of ChatGPT in developing systematic literature searches: an evidence summary - Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries
A Look Under the Hood of Scopus AI: Elsevier’s search tool for scholarly testing – Scholarly Kitchen
How to cite ChatGPT in APA Style – American Psychological Association
10 Best AI Tools for Research – BeeBom
AI Definitions: Prompt Engineer
/Prompt Engineer - An advanced user of AI models, a prompt engineer doesn’t possess special technical skills but is able to give clear instructions, so the AI returns results that most closely match expectations. This skill can be compared to a psychologist who is working with a client who needs help expressing what they know.
More AI definitions here.
How do AI Checkers Work?
/AI checkers will break down text, removing punctuation then use a technique called vectorization to convert it into a mathematical hash code for comparison to other text. Phrases and grammatical structure are assigned weights with uncommon language rated as more likely human-written. The AI detector also looks across the internet for use of the same language. The comparison identifies exact matches and paraphrases. This means data-rich companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are more likely to successfully identify AI-written material. Read more about this process on ZDnet
Setting Boundaries
/Many people feel that they are “people persons,” able to attract others and connect with them. At the same time, however, people persons often feel overwhelmed, anxious and frustrated about the obligations and responsibilities that their bonded relationships demand.
Setting boundaries is the primary tool for strengthening your separateness and developing an accurate sense of responsibility. The essence of boundaries is determining where you end and someone else begins, realizing your own person apart from others, and knowing your limits.
A good way to understand this is to compare our lives to a house. Houses have certain maintenance needs, such as painting, terminate control and roof repairs. If, however, we’re spending all our time putting roofs on our neighbor’s houses while neglecting our own roof or we run the risk of a leaky roof or worse by the time we get back home.
Think of all the different caring acts you performed over the last 24 hours. How many did you do grudgingly because you were under the threat of someone’s criticism or abandonment? How many did you do under compulsion because you feel guilty if you don’t keep people happy? And how many were from a cheerful heart, from the overflow caused by knowing you are loved by God and people in your life?
John Townsend
Courses & Guides on Using AI
/How to use ChatGPT for data analysis and research - Beginners Guide - Geeky Gadgets
Amazon Offers Free AI Courses, Aiming to Help 2 Million People Build AI Skills by 2025 – Open Culture
How to Access Hundreds of AI Training Courses on LinkedIn for Free – Tech.co
24 of the best AI and ChatGPT courses you can take online for free – Mashable
How to use ChatGPT – 7 tips for beginners – Tech Radar
Want to Learn AI? AI Will Teach You – Wall Street Journal
Is AI Hard to Learn - A Comprehensive Guide [2024] – SimpleiLearn
How to use Perplexity AI for research and data analysis – Geeky Gadgets
These Free LinkedIn Courses Will Teach You How to Use AI - Life Hacker
Your circle of competence
/Billionaire Warren Buffet liked to stay within what he called his “circle of competence,” arguing that a person shouldn’t assume that because they’re good at one thing, they are good at everything. -Anupreeta Das
16 Webinars This Week about Journalism, AI, Ethics, Social Media & More
/Mon, Aug 19 - Research for the Newsroom: Practical tools for adding depth to breaking and enterprise stories (4 meetings)
What: Students will learn strategies and tools for finding information in the course of your daily reporting.
Who: Barbara Gray of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York; John O’Neil of Bloomberg News
When: Aug. 19-Sept. 15
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: UT Austin Knight Center for Journalism
Mon, Aug 19 - Climate Solutions Journalism: A Community-informed & Equity-focused Approach (2 meetings)
What: You will learn the key principles of solutions journalism. What is it? What is it not? Why is it important? And how to make it happen, from idea to reporting to completed story. The goal of this program is also to increase the number of news outlets publishing solutions-focused stories on the climate crisis.
Who: Hugo Balta, Solutions Journalism Network
When: Aug. 19 & Sept. 1
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: UT Austin Knight Center for Journalism
Thu, Aug 19 - What AI Still Can’t Do
What: This session will examine the critical gaps in current AI capabilities and explore the advancements needed to elevate its impact across the nonprofit industry. We will uncover where AI technology needs to evolve, focusing on a mix of technology and ethical considerations. Additionally, we will address the human side of this transformation, emphasizing the importance of change management within organizations to foster an AI-ready culture.
Who: Griff Bohm Co-Founder SKY Developer Cohort; Abi Scott DMK Blackbaud
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Blackbaud
Mon, Aug 19 - Using AI Tools like ChatGPT to Help You Launch and Grow Your Business
What: In this workshop, you will learn how to harness AI tools effectively at every step of your entrepreneurial journey.
Who: Daniel Street, Asst. Professor of Accounting & Financial Management, Bucknell University
When: 6 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop
Mon, Aug 19 - AI in Video Journalism: Uses, Best Practices and Ethics – ONA Minilab
What: This session will cover practical applications, ethics, and best practices for AI in video creation. We’ll examine how AI can improve accessibility, automate processes, and generate insights, while also addressing concerns about content accuracy, algorithmic bias, and journalistic integrity.
Who: Basil Shadid is a documentary film and commercial producer whose credits include Academy Award nominated, Emmy winning, and Audience award winning films.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $25 or free for ONA members
Sponsors: Online News Association, the Video Consortium
Mon, Aug 19 - Social science essentials for local reporters
What: This free one-hour “crash course”—designed specifically for local and general assignment reporters—teaches basic principles about how social science works and ways it can be used to strengthen virtually any news story with a human element, especially this election season. The speakers will lay out key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when including science in your news reporting.
Who: Former longtime Washington Post science reporter Rick Weiss and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: New England Newspaper & Press Association
Tue, Aug 20 - All AI Models Are Not Created Equal: and That’s a Good Thing
What: This presentation explores: Compelling differences in model performance (e.g open source vs. closed, model, vs model); The importance of a healthy, competitive ecosystem in lowering costs and maximizing ROI; Why end users need to rely on a variety of customized models; How to optimize model selection based on price, speed, and quality We'll demonstrate how understanding and leveraging these distinctions can lead to more effective AI implementation across various projects.
Who: Ivan Lee, Datasaur, CEO
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Open Data Science
Tue, Aug 20 - AI as Your Image Creation Sidekick
What: You'll learn the power of DALL-E 3 by mastering the art of crafting precise and creative prompts that generate high-quality images tailored to your needs. Discover the secrets of effective image prompt creation Practice advanced image strategies that will save you time and boost your creativity Work through practical exercises and prompt hacks so you leave with the confidence to create images that reflect your imagination.
Who: Shannon Tipton, Owner of Learning Rebels
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
Wed, Aug 21 - Emerging Social Media Trends
What: The world of social networks is changing rapidly. Yet, it’s important to know what will still benefit your business and which up-and-comers are worth your time. Come for an overview of the latest social marketing trends, as Digital Marketing Strategist Ray Sidney-Smith walks you through the trends and the latest forecasts! There’s no time like the present to plan your social media marketing and choose the right strategy, networks, and tactics.
Who: Ray Sidney-Smith, CEO, W3 Consulting
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $45
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop
Thu, Aug 22 – Rural Health Journalism Workshop 2024
What: Join us for a daylong virtual workshop of talks, presentations and conversation about some of the biggest challenges in rural health. We’ll unpack the nuances of the rural hospital closures crisis; innovative solutions to health care workforce shortages; the national picture of reproductive health care access; what happened to all that opioid settlement money; and a candid conversation about what people still get wrong about rural America (and why it matters).
Who: A variety of journalists, academics, and health care professionals (see link for a list)
When: 9 am – 5 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Discount for members
Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists
Thu, Aug 22 - Leveraging AI Tools like ChatGPT to Accelerate Your Business Growth
What: In this webinar, discover how AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize your business operations and drive exponential growth. Topics covered will include: Understanding AI: An introduction to AI and how it can be integrated into business operations; Practical Applications: Real-world examples of how businesses use AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance productivity and customer engagement; Implementation Strategies: Step-by-step guidance on how to start using AI tools in your business with minimal cost and effort; Future Trends: Insights into the future of AI and how businesses can stay ahead of the curve.
Who: Dr. Jeff Bullock, CEO & Founder of PRISM AI Consultants.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop
Thu, Aug 22 - Leveraging AI for Video Research Synthesis and Pitch Creation
What: Participants will learn how to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to synthesize research documents and create compelling pitches. We’ll explore advanced prompting techniques, discuss security considerations when dealing with sensitive information, and walk through the process of crafting and editing fully-formatted pitch with a bit of AI assistance. Attendees will get access to mock interview transcripts, articles, and sample pitch structures to work with.
Who: Alex Clark is an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University and producer covering AI and misinformation for CBS News.
When: 12:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: Online News Association, The Video Consortium
Thu, Aug 22 - What newspapers need to understand about Artificial Intelligence
What: These 70 minutes will be packed with information about: How AI came into being; What AI actually is and how it works (the details, but you’ll understand them); How AI has advanced and the types of AI available today; The dangers and pitfalls of AI; AI tools used by newspapers; Legal and ethical challenges when using AI; and much more!
Who: Newspaper Academy’s News Guru Kevin Slimp
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $69
Sponsor: Virginia Press Association
Thu, Aug 22 - Public Documents and Enterprise Reporting
What: Tips about how to access information and real-world examples of how document digging paid off.
Who: Chris Coates is a senior director–local news for Lee Enterprises and executive editor of The Richmond Times-Dispatch and other journalists.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $35
Sponsor: Online Media Campus
Thu, Aug 22 - What is service journalism, and how do I do it right?
What: Service journalism is more important now than ever, and more publications are hungry for this type of reporting. Let’s get into the weeds about how to find, report, write, and pitch compelling, useful service stories!
Who: Tim Herrera, former editor of The New York Times's service journalism desk Smarter Living, and Allie Volpe, senior reporter at Vox.
When: 4 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $20
Sponsor: Freelancing With Tim
Fri, Aug 23 - The Future of PR: Emerging Trends and Changing Landscape
What: Learn about key drivers of change: technology, consumer behavior, and media evolution. Discover the latest trends: digital PR, data-driven strategies, and social media. Learn how to integrate new tools and technologies into PR campaigns. Understand how to create engaging content for modern audiences.
Who: Nitin Naveen, Vice president-Innovation Strategy, AICorespot; Nandita Sen, Senior Director – Research & Analytics, InfoVision; Brandon Edwards, CEO, Unlock Health; Steve Bauer, SVP & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard St. Louis; Ashley Barton, Senior Vice President & Group Director, 5WPR.
When: 9:45 am – 11:15 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: AICorespot
Whole & Broken
/Our willingness to be whole people is connected to our willingness to be broken people. -Dean Nelson (born Aug. 18)
20 Articles about the Limitations of AI
/Can machine-learning algorithms distinguish truth from falsehood? – The Atlantic
AI models could collapse if trained on their own materials, study shows – Semafor
A.I. Can Write Poetry, but It Struggles With Math – New York Times
OopsGPT OpenAI just announced a new search tool. Its demo already got something wrong. – The Atlantic
A week of nonstop breaking political news stumps AI chatbots – Washington Post
Hundreds of millions of people have tried ChatGPT, but most of them haven’t been back. LLMs might be a trap – Ben Evans Blog
What if the A.I. Boosters Are Wrong? – New York Times
AI Has Become a Technology of Faith - The Atlantic
Why AI can’t replace science – Fast Company
AI Investors Are Starting to Wonder: Is This Just a Bubble? - New York Magazine
It’s time to get real about what AI can and can’t do – Washington Post
Generative AI Can’t Cite Its Sources - The Atlantic
Think AI Can Perceive Emotion? Think Again. – Wall Street Journal
Press Pause on the Silicon Valley Hype Machine – New York Times
In the shadow of generative AI, what remains uniquely human? - VentureBeat
Teenager stuns China after beating AI in math contest – NBC News
The Mystery of AI Gunshot-Detection Accuracy Is Finally Unraveling – Wired
New study on AI-assisted creativity reveals an interesting social dilemma – Psypost
The AI that de-ages Eminem into Slim Shady is astonishingly bad – Futurism
Using synthetic data to train foundational LLMs – Enterprise AI
Creating your own misery
/As long as you live in a society with other fallible humans you will be frustrated and hassled - not merely occasionally - all of your life. The best way to avoid feeling miserable about virtually anything that will ever occur in your lifetime is to admit that you create your own misery.
(Irrational beliefs that interfere with emotional health include..)
I must do well... win the approval of others... or else I will rate as a rotten person.
Others must treat me with considerately and kindly... Other people must not behave incompetently or stupidly.
The world (and the people in it) must arrange the conditions under which I live so that I get what I want when I want it.
Albert Ellis
New Endings
/Real change starts with endings, not beginnings. Change begins with ending something. If you can’t decide what to do next or which direction to go, perhaps it will help to rephrase the question this way:
What do I want to end? What am I willing to end?
Change is not just about starting something new. It’s about bringing something to a close.
Stephen Goforth
Failure
/Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing. -Denis Waitley