Bloomberg journalists on news and innovation

Do you know how to spot fake news, work with artificial intelligence and report with automated data? Those are all new skills that today’s journalists need as they embark on their careers. Three top Bloomberg News journalists gave UNC Hussman students their insights and tips on reporting with technology during a workshop on innovation and news on Friday.

Bloomberg Social Media Czar Sarah Kopit walked students through ‘mining’ news from social media, which she said “as business journalists, we have to always be watching”. Kopit led the audience through a discussion on how to use social media as journalists and look for fake news and deep fakes across media platforms. The group, which included students from UNC Hussman's Visiting International Scholars program, also discussed the difference in free speech laws in the United States, Europe and China.

Hussman alumna Lauren Berry ‘08, Bloomberg’s Managing Editor for Data-Driven News and Automation and New York Deputy Bureau Chief, spoke about the new world of working with artificial intelligence in news organizations. Berry, who manages a team of editors across the Americas that analyzes regular patterns in financial statements, worked with students to identify how they could add editorial context to automated stories as reporters. Berry, who is also a Hussman adjunct professor, told the group that though automation can provide essential services for journalism, “you can’t take the human element out of it.” Bloomberg AI & Extraction Product Manager Lina Vourgidou gave the perspective from the project management side. Vourgidou explained how Bloomberg builds models to produce stories through artificial intelligence.

To hear more from Lauren Berry, including her discussion with UNC Hussman Dean Susan King about diversity and AI in the newsroom, check out the Start Here / Never Stop podcast.