AI-assisted journalism in international media: A study on reporters and editors

Over the past twenty years, a significant revolution has taken place, particularly in the field of information technology. With artificial intelligence (AI) enabling computers to mimic human-like thinking and learning abilities, the media sector has undergone profound transformations. The advancement of technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, coupled with faster computers and vast datasets, has led to continuously improving learning algorithms. AI has brought substantial changes not only to the media sector but also to journalism. Today, AI-powered systems analyze large datasets to accelerate news production and play an active role in news verification, distribution, analysis, and personalization processes. The aim of this study is to assess how journalists and editors working in international media organizations utilize AI in their news production processes. The study examines AI's role in news production, analysis, and distribution, as well as its impact on journalistic practices and potential consequences for editorial independence. The research focuses on journalists and editors working in international media organizations operating in the Middle East, Europe, Eurasia, and Turkey. The study was conducted through in-depth interviews with nine journalists and editors, identified using the snowball sampling method. Data were collected via remote interviews and analyzed thematically using the MAXQDA Analytics Pro (24.7.0) software. The findings reveal that journalists and editors frequently incorporate AI into their professional practices and also benefit from this technology in their daily lives. While journalists tend to focus on the direct use of AI applications and their advantages and disadvantages, editors are more concerned with ethical considerations, accuracy, and the level of information provided by AI. Based on these findings, it is expected that AI will play an even more significant role in news production in the coming years, with journalists, editors, and AI systems collaborating in the process. Therefore, there is a growing need for more research on the integration of AI in news production at both local and international levels to foster discussions on this topic. This study is expected to serve as a guiding and pioneering research for future studies in the field.