Lenfest Institute for Journalism

💸📊 How are the latest fundraising trends impacting your newsroom? The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a free workshop on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 a.m. PDT featuring The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Join us to learn insights from the broader philanthropic field — including details on donor trends, tax laws, and more — and how you can apply them to fundraising for journalism. The Chronicle will also share highlights from the Philanthropy & Nonprofit Accountability Fellowship, a program it organizes in partnership with The Associated Press, to support local newsrooms covering philanthropy in their communities. As a bonus, all session attendees will receive a discount on subscriptions to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Our partners and fellows are redefining what journalism can be. 👏 Huge shout-out to The Minnesota Star Tribune and our AI fellows Dana Chiueh 👩🏻💻 and Brian Prichard. Poynter Institute recently highlighted how the Star Tribune used AI to 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 when it mattered most. In times of crisis, when facts shift by the minute, innovation can be the difference between meaningful context and noise. The Star Tribune story reminds us that new tools are most powerful when guided by 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. I am especially proud of all our news partners and fellows, who navigate that same tension every day with the support of OpenAI, Microsoft, and Lenfest Institute for Journalism. They: + 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗹𝘆 with new technologies and data approaches while staying anchored in mission. + 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, especially when introducing disruptive tools. + 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, uncovering stories that matter, strengthening local ecosystems, expanding access, and shining light into blind spots. The challenges are hard and the incentives are messy. Yet our fellows and partners are building a bridge between tomorrow’s tools and today’s accountability. 💬 If you have seen an example of 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 making a difference, share it below. The Lenfest AI Collaborative is the largest AI-for-journalism initiative focused on business sustainability. We embed technical fellows in 10 large metro-scale news organizations that have the audience reach and engineering talent to create tools that others can adopt. This unrivaled program is accelerating AI’s responsible use across editorial, business, and audience operations by codeveloping tools with leading technology partners OpenAI and Microsoft. Our news partners include, not only The Minnesota Star Tribune, but also: + Baltimore Banner + Boston Globe Media + Chicago Public Media + Newsday Media Group + NEWSWELL at Arizona State University + ProPublica + The Dallas Morning News + The Philadelphia Inquirer + The Seattle Times Thank you, Tom Rubin, Varun Shetty, Christina Lim, Yiren Lu, David Duxin Ginny Badanes, Anna Roth, Jennifer Marsman, Nikki Freeman, Jim Friedlich, Tristan Loper, Tesnim Z., and the teams at OpenAI, Microsoft, and Lenfest, for making this program and its impact a reality. #AI #GenAI #LocalNews #Media #Journalism #Technology #Strategy #Innovation

“Yes, journalism is a craft. Yes, it’s a business. But more than anything, it’s a people practice.” The importance of connection was top-of-mind for Meena Thiruvengadam, our Lenfest Audience Community facilitator, at #ONA25 earlier this month. For news practitioners looking to continue their work in the long-term, having peers to lean on makes all the difference.     Meena shared her reflections from ONA — on community, creators, connecting with your audiences, and more. And if you’re looking for continued opportunities to grow your network and collaborate across the industry, she also shared details on how to join the Lenfest Audience Community 👇

💡 What happens when local newsrooms get direct access to AI talent + tools? We have been testing exactly that at The Lenfest Institute for Journalism AI Collaborative & Fellowship Program. In partnership with OpenAI + Microsoft, 10 major news organizations have hired two-year AI fellows to build real newsroom solutions. Early projects already live: 📰 The Philadelphia Inquirer: AI archive research assistant 📊 The Seattle Times: AI ad sales prospecting agent 🎙️ Chicago Public Media: Multilingual transcription + translation 🍽️ The Minnesota Star Tribune: launching an AI-driven restaurant finder and sharing the source code for their underlying "Agate" framework 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Local journalism is under huge pressure. This program is a model for how AI can strengthen, not replace, the mission of journalism by transparently fueling sustainability, collaboration, and innovation. 👉 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂:  How should AI be applied in industries where trust and mission matter most? 🔗 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: You'll find case studies, projects, guides, code, and more. https://lnkd.in/g2vnFXqC The Lenfest AI Collaborative & Fellowship cohort includes: + Baltimore Banner + Boston Globe Media + Chicago Public Media + DallasNews Corporation + Newsday Media Group + NEWSWELL at Arizona State University + ProPublica + The Minnesota Star Tribune + The Philadelphia Inquirer + The Seattle Times Gratitude to these organizations for their openness and collaborative spirit as well as their fellows: Aaron Brezel, Brian Prichard, Dana Chiueh 👩🏻💻, Kevin Hoffman, Mark Chonofsky, Omar Reid, Paulino Daniel Ramírez Torres, Rajesh B., and Shanni You.

A state-funded fellowship program in New Mexico has grown from 3 reporters to 8 in 2025 - creating a pipeline of new journalists and more investment for local news. via Sarah Gustavus Lim, Lenfest Institute for Journalism cc New Mexico Local News Fund and The University of New Mexico https://lnkd.in/eE9e3sty

Happening this Thursday! Join us at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT on Sept. 25 for a discussion on how journalists can better serve their communities and produce reporting that leads to meaningful, measurable impact 👇

We are thrilled to welcome The Lenfest Institute for Journalism as our newest affiliate member! “The Lenfest Institute is deeply aligned with PNA’s mission to strengthen Pennsylvania’s news ecosystem,” said Tristan Loper, head of national programs at The Lenfest Institute. “Through our programs, we’re committed to helping independent local news organizations thrive,” Loper added. “This year alone, we expect to provide more than $800,000 in grant funding, along with access to Communities of Practice and one-on-one advising. These resources—paired with the insights we’ve gained from supporting publishers nationwide—are designed to help news organizations like the members of PNA build sustainable businesses and continue serving their communities for the long term.” Read more in our recent member spotlight: https://lnkd.in/e4P_6gbT Learn more about The Lenfest Institute for Journalism at https://lnkd.in/gh8EMPZ2 #PNA #PAnewsmedia #PNA100 #LenfestInstitute #Journalism #LocalNews

✨ That’s a wrap on our AI in Local News San Francisco Summit! It’s energizing to gather with people building the future of journalism with AI. Grateful to our hosts Northwestern University Medill School and OpenAI. We’re fortunate to spend time in Northwestern’s San Francisco hub and at OpenAI’s headquarters. Our third summit brought together senior executives, board members, deans, academics, researchers, students, journalists, technologists, AI fellows, and philanthropic partners. The combination of learning, humor, humility, and curiosity reflected equal parts serious innovation and human connection. A few highlights: + 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | gatherings like these build openness and camaraderie among wicked smart individuals and teams. + 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 | participants spanned national and metro news organizations (Newsday Media Group, The Dallas Morning News, The Seattle Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Public Media, Baltimore Banner, Boston Globe Media, ProPublica, The Minnesota Star Tribune, and NEWSWELL at Arizona State University), academia (Northwestern University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley), philanthropy and nonprofits (National Trust for Local News, American Journalism Project, Lenfest Institute for Journalism), and tech (Microsoft, OpenAI). + 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 | broad perspectives from senior executives and deans to early-career fellows and students, reinforcing a learning community where all voices matter. 🙏 Special thanks to Mackenzie Warren for walking us through Northwestern’s cross-disciplinary approach; to Christina Lim, Yiren Lu, and Kaycee Spalding for candid insights on how AI is evolving across industries; to Jennifer Marsman and the Microsoft + OpenAI teams for rolling up sleeves with our fellows; and to CEO Jim Friedlich and board member Hong Q. from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism as well as OpenAI's Tom Rubin for their presence and generous ongoing support. A true 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 is forming, where dilemmas are shared openly and solutions are built collaboratively, and I thank all of you. #AI #Journalism #Community #LocalNews #Innovation #Strategy

As gun violence continues to impact our communities — compounded further by other current issues like political unrest and mis- and disinformation — there’s no time like the present to improve your newsroom’s coverage of the crisis. The The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting is hosting a conference from Oct. 2-3 to answer urgent questions around how we tell stories about gun violence. Join experts in Philly for candid discussions on solutions journalism, trauma-informed reporting, the public health approach to gun violence prevention, and how we can prevent further harm to communities impacted by the issue. Attendees who join for both days will be eligible to receive PCGVR’s Gun Violence Prevention Reporting Certification. Learn more and register 👇 https://www.pcgvr.org/

The cable pioneer and news visionary H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest told me, “surround yourself by people who are smarter than you…” I spent much of last week in #SanFrancisco and #SiliconValley with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism’s AI Fellows- an extraordinary group of national and metro news organizations focused on broad, enterprise-wide applications of AI in news: AI in ad sales lead generation, subscription marketing, news archive utilization & research, analysis of public data, language translation, philanthropic fundraising, an array of applications for investigative news, and much, much more. This fun, sharing, and brilliant group from 8 countries represented news, universities, foundations and tech: News: The Dallas Morning News, The Seattle Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Banner, Boston Globe Media, ProPublica, Chicago Public Media , WBEZ Chicago Chicago Sun-Times The Minnesota Star Tribune. Newsday Media Group Universities: NEWSWELL at Arizona State University Northwestern University Medill School , Stanford University (Big Local News), University of California, Berkeley School of Journalism. Philanthropy and nonprofits: National Trust for Local News, American Journalism Project, Lenfest Institute for Journalism, and Tech (Microsoft , OpenAI ) Thanks David Chivers Tesnim Z. Hong Q. Tom Rubin Varun Shetty Noreen Jeremy Gilbert Ginny Badanes Jennifer Marsman Cheryl Phillips Dorrine Mendoza Matt Boggie Kevin Delaney Mark Chonofsky Emily Boardman Ndulue Michael D. B. Rodney Gibbs and many more. #AIinNews #LocalNews #ProductInNews #GenAI #RAG #NewsroomInnovation #MediaLeadership