Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the media landscape. From automating routine reporting to assisting in investigative analysis, AI is becoming a core part of newsroom operations across the world. This professional journalism workshop offers a comprehensive and practical introduction to the evolving intersection between journalism and AI, designed for journalists, editors, media managers, and other communication professionals. Participants will explore how leading media organizations are incorporating AI tools into their workflows, from content production and audience engagement to verification and newsroom efficiency. Through case studies, expert insights, and hands-on exploration, the course will highlight best practices and showcase innovative uses of AI across different journalistic contexts. But AI in journalism is not just a technical shift, it also raises pressing questions. The course will offer critical perspectives on the ethical, legal, and societal dimensions of generative AI, including issues around transparency, accountability, misinformation, bias, and source integrity. Special attention will be given to how debates about AI ethics are unfolding within the journalism profession itself, and how these concerns are shaping editorial strategies and newsroom cultures. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the opportunities and limits of AI in journalism, equipped with the tools to make informed decisions about its use in their own organizations. Whether you're just beginning to explore AI or already engaging with it in your daily work, this course will offer valuable insights into the future of news.
The workshop is limited to 20 participants.
This course is built on a unique interdisciplinary approach that bridges cutting-edge academic research with frontline industry practice. Participants will learn from internationally renowned scholars who have pioneered the study of AI’s impact on journalism, offering critical and conceptual frameworks to understand current transformations. Alongside these academic insights, leading practitioners from across Europe, including newsroom innovators and digital media strategists, will share concrete, hands-on experiences from the frontlines of AI integration in journalism. The course is designed to foster meaningful knowledge transfer between academia and the media industry. By combining theoretical reflection with real-world examples, it provides participants with a well-rounded understanding of how AI is reshaping journalism production, editorial decision-making, and newsroom management. From generative AI to automated workflows and algorithmic curation, the course explores the state of the art in current applications and presents a curated overview of best practices and implementation strategies. Whether you're navigating the ethical questions surrounding AI, evaluating new tools for your newsroom, or considering broader organizational change, this course will equip you with the expertise needed to engage with AI critically and constructively.
The course is designed for professional journalists and media professionals at any stage of their career, whether employed at a media organization or working as freelancers. There are no specific requirements regarding educational background or prior experience with artificial intelligence; the only prerequisite is a professional connection to journalism or the news industry. Participants should also be aware that the course will be conducted entirely in English. The course is limited to a maximum of 20 participants, ensuring an intimate and interactive learning environment. This small-group setting allows for meaningful discussions, hands-on activities, and personalized engagement with instructors and peers.
The course fee is 550 CHF and includes access to all sessions, as well as lunch, apero, and coffee on day 2. Selected participants will be contacted by the organization with instructions for payment in due course.
Professor Charlie Beckett is the founding director of Polis, the think-tank for research and debate around international journalism and society in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Polis runs events for journalists and the public as well as a programme of fellowships and research. It has a Summer School, holds conferences and publishes reports. Charlie is leading the Polis JournalismAI project and was Lead Commissioner for the LSE Truth, Trust & Technology Commission (T3). As well as being spokesperson for Polis, Media Policy Project and T3, and a regular blogger, Charlie Beckett is a regular commentator on journalism and politics for the UK and International media. Charlie is the author of SuperMedia: Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World (Blackwell, 2008) and WikiLeaks: News In The Networked Era (Polity, 2012). He also published research on journalism and emotions, journalism and Artificial Intelligence, and reporting on terrorism. Prior to joining LSE, Charlie was a programme editor at ITN's Channel 4 News. Before that he was a senior producer and programme editor at BBC News and Current affairs for ten years. He started his career on local newspapers in his native South London before starting in TV at LWT. Charlie specialises in how journalism around the world is changing and its relationship to society and politics.
Alessandro Alviani is the Lead for Generative AI at Süddeutsche Zeitung Digitale Medien, the digital publishing division of Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung. With a background in journalism and product development, his work focuses on building and evaluating AI-driven products, tools, and experiences for readers, editors, and other business stakeholders. He previously served as Product Lead for AI at Ippen Digital and was the Editorial Director for Microsoft News in Berlin. Before that, he was Germany correspondent for the Italian newspaper La Stampa. He has been closely following the intersection of AI and media since 2020. As a 2022 JournalismAI fellow, he helped develop a tool and methodology to support journalists identify and track manipulated narratives from state-controlled media. He is based in Munich.
Dr. Philip Di Salvo is a senior researcher and lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland. His primary research interests include investigative journalism, internet surveillance, the intersection of journalism and hacking, and black box technologies. Previously, he served as a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) from 2021 to 2022. From 2012 to 2021, he held various research and teaching roles at the Institute of Media and Journalism, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). In the summer of 2024, Philip was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University. Between 2018 and 2020, he also taught as a Lecturer at NABA – New Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, Italy. Philip earned his PhD in Communication Sciences from USI in the summer of 2018, with a dissertation focusing on the adoption of encrypted whistleblowing platforms in journalism. As a freelance journalist, Philip has contributed to publications such as Wired, Motherboard/Vice, Esquire and RSI, the Swiss-Italian public broadcaster, covering the societal impacts of technology.
Date & Time | Saturday November 15th from 10AM to 1PM |
| Session topic | “AI Meets Journalism: Challenges and Expectations in the Newsroom” Lecturer: Dr. Philip Di Salvo This opening session of the “Leading Journalism in the Age of AI: Executive Insights and Strategy” is designed to establish a shared foundation among participants while fostering early collaboration and exchange. The session begins with introductions and an exploration of participants’ professional backgrounds, experiences, and motivations for joining the course. Through structured discussions and group work, participants will articulate their expectations, needs, and concerns regarding the role of artificial intelligence in journalism. Together, we will surface initial perspectives on the opportunities, challenges, and rationales for integrating AI into journalistic practice. This collaborative exercise will not only help participants identify common themes and priorities but will also set the stage for deeper inquiry and learning throughout the program. |
| Date & Time | Saturday November 22nd from 9AM to 6PM | |
| Place | Design Thinking Lab | MCM Institute | Universität St. Gallen Blumenbergpl. 9, 9000 St. Gallen | |
| Timetable | 9.30AM to 10.00AM Welcome coffe and get-together | |
10AM to 1PM Lecturer: Prof. Charlie Beckett | ||
| 1PM to 2PM Lunch break (at MCM Institute) | ||
2PM to 5.30PM | ||
5.30PM to end |
For any questions or further information about the course, please contact Dr. Philip Di Salvo at philip.disalvo@unisg.ch
Please submit your application by October 15th using this form. In your application letter (maximum one page), please describe your background and explain your motivation for participating in the workshop
The “Leading Journalism in the Age of AI: Insights and Strategy” Professional Journalism Workshop is organized by the Chair of Media and Culture (=mcm3) at the Institute of Media and Communications Management, Universität St. Gallen, led by Prof. Veronica Barassi. At the =mcm3 we conduct interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research, which is grounded in the belief that we need culturally sensitive, human-centered and context specific approaches to study the technological and communication transformations of our times. Additionally, The =mcm3 has always been engaged in different teaching and research activities that focus on the future of journalism and the ways in which it is being transformed by emerging technologies as well as by social and cultural transformations. It is for this reason, that in the last years we have strengthened our teaching portfolio in this area (including executive education) as well as invested in research that explores the impact of AI and algorithmic technologies on journalists. Since 2019, the =mcm3 has partnered with the MAZ –Institute for Journalism and Communication in Lucerne andthe Akademie für Publizistik in Hamburg to offer a high-end executive education program tailored to journalistsaspiring to strengthen their leadership skills. The Leadershipfor Journalists program provides an intensive, year-longlearning experience that equips media professionals with the essential knowledge and practical expertiseneeded to navigate the evolving media landscape inmanagement positions. The =mcm3 is also responsible for the teaching program Digital Communication and Journalism(DCJ/ Digitale Kommunikation und Journalismus, DKJ) is an additional qualification for HSG master’s students, who are interested in an interdisciplinary extension of theirmain studies towards journalistic news work and publiccommunication. The program is academically overseen and managed by =mcm3. It educates its participants in journalistic research and writing techniques as well as corporate communication, public relations, and the use of digital platforms. Enrolled students complete six courses (18ECTS) and graduate with a specific certificate, that functionsas a minor to their major master program. The =mcm3 is also committed to fostering research on the multiple ways in which journalism is being transformed by the rise of data-driven and AI technologies as well as by algorithmic logics.