Politics

OpenAI launches newsroom academy to accelerate responsible AI adoption in journalism

Thursday, 18 December 2025 6:07AM UTC

OpenAI has introduced the OpenAI Academy for News Organizations, a global initiative offering practical AI training and resources to help newsrooms adopt artificial intelligence ethically and effectively amid rising industry demand and collaboration efforts.

OpenAI has launched the OpenAI Academy for News Organizations, a global learning hub aimed at helping journalists, editors and publishers adopt artificial intelligence responsibly across newsroom functions. According to OpenAI, the platform , announced at the AI and Journalism Summit co‑hosted by the Brown Institute for Media Innovation and Hearst , goes live today and offers hands‑on training, playbooks and real‑world examples designed to save time and enable higher‑impact journalism. ^[1]^[2]

Positioned as a practical, newsroom‑focused resource, the Academy’s curriculum covers editorial, investigative and business operations and includes on‑demand courses such as "AI Essentials for Journalists" that introduce core AI concepts and newsroom use cases. The offering also includes sessions for technical and product teams exploring advanced tools and custom AI solutions, alongside open‑source projects and shared resources newsrooms can adapt to local workflows. The company said the materials emphasise applications in investigative research, translation and multilingual reporting, data analysis and production efficiency. ^[1]^[2]

OpenAI framed the Academy as building on years of collaboration with the journalism community, citing partnerships with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism as foundations for the programme. The firm said insights from global publisher relationships and industry groups shaped the Academy’s emphasis on practical guidance and shared learning grounded in real newsroom needs. OpenAI also highlighted existing collaborations with publishers including News Corp, Axios, the Financial Times, Condé Nast and Hearst, and work with industry bodies such as WAN‑IFRA and INMA. ^[1]^[2]^[6]

The launch comes alongside other OpenAI initiatives designed to accelerate newsroom AI adoption. According to OpenAI, it is funding and providing technical assistance to The Newsroom AI Catalyst with WAN‑IFRA, a global accelerator intended to help more than 100 publishers fast‑track AI implementation through modules, workshops, a mini hackathon and a showcase. The programme aims to support content creation, deeper data analysis, improved user experiences and experimentation with new formats. ^[3]

OpenAI’s partnership with The Lenfest Institute has previously extended to the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship programme, which funds AI fellows at local news organisations to pursue projects that drive business sustainability and innovation. The initial round supported five organisations , Chicago Public Media, Newsday, The Minnesota Star Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Seattle Times , with grants, OpenAI and Microsoft Azure credits to develop local AI tools. The Lenfest programme has since expanded to include additional newsrooms such as ProPublica, Boston Globe Media, The Dallas Morning News, The Baltimore Banner and Arizona State University’s NEWSWELL, with projects focusing on audience engagement, tip organisation and content personalisation. ^[4]^[7]

OpenAI acknowledged the concerns that have accompanied AI adoption in journalism around trust, accuracy and employment, and said the Academy includes guidance on responsible use, internal policies and governance frameworks to help newsrooms safeguard accuracy, transparency and trust. The company presented the Academy as an attempt to provide immediate operational value while encouraging transparent, ethical deployment of AI technologies. ^[1]^[2]

The wider landscape includes other industry training efforts. According to JournalismAI at the London School of Economics, the JournalismAI Academy , supported by the Google News Initiative , has offered a free, five‑week online programme since 2021, demonstrating growing demand for structured training as newsrooms evaluate AI tools and governance. The emergence of multiple training and accelerator programmes underlines a broader industry push to professionalise AI adoption rather than rely on ad hoc experimentation. ^[5]

##Reference Map:

^[1] (Adgully) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
^[2] (OpenAI blog) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
^[3] (OpenAI newsroom) - Paragraph 4
^[4] (OpenAI/Lenfest) - Paragraph 5
^[6] (OpenAI partnering with Axios) - Paragraph 3
^[7] (Lenfest Institute) - Paragraph 5
^[5] (JournalismAI/LSE) - Paragraph 8

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.adgully.com/post/10321/openai-launches-academy-to-help-newsrooms-adopt-ai-responsibly - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://openai.com/index/openai-academy-for-news-organizations/ - OpenAI has launched the OpenAI Academy for News Organizations, a global learning hub designed to assist journalists, editors, and publishers in responsibly integrating artificial intelligence into their newsrooms. This initiative builds upon OpenAI's existing partnerships with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, reflecting the company's commitment to fostering a healthy, sustainable news ecosystem. The Academy offers hands-on training, playbooks, and real-world examples to help news teams save time and focus on impactful journalism, covering areas such as editorial, investigative, and business operations. The platform includes on-demand courses like 'AI Essentials for Journalists,' which introduces core AI concepts and newsroom-relevant use cases, as well as sessions for more technical and product-focused teams exploring advanced tools and custom AI solutions. The curriculum also highlights practical applications in investigative and background research, translation and multilingual reporting, data analysis, and production efficiency. Additionally, the Academy provides open-source projects and shared resources that news organizations can adapt to their own workflows, along with guidance on responsible AI use, including best practices for developing internal policies, governance frameworks, and safeguards around accuracy, transparency, and trust. OpenAI acknowledges that AI adoption raises concerns across the industry, particularly around trust, accuracy, and employment, and has designed the Academy to provide immediate value while encouraging responsible and transparent use of the technology. OpenAI currently partners with a wide range of publishers and media organizations, including News Corp, Axios, the Financial Times, Condé Nast, and Hearst, and collaborates with industry bodies such as WAN-IFRA and INMA, collectively delivering trusted news content in more than 20 languages to over 800 million weekly ChatGPT users worldwide.
https://openai.com/index/newsroom-ai-catalyst-global-program-with-wan-ifra/ - OpenAI has partnered with the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) to launch The Newsroom AI Catalyst, a global accelerator program designed to help over 100 news publishers fast-track their AI adoption and implementation. This intensive program combines expert guidance with hands-on experience, equipping newsroom stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to drive strategic AI initiatives. The program includes learning modules, workshops, a mini hackathon, and a showcase, aiming to assist newsrooms in creating and improving content, conducting deeper analysis of information and data, enhancing user experience on news websites, and finding new formats for delivering information. OpenAI is funding and providing technical assistance to the initiative, reflecting its commitment to supporting the news industry in harnessing the transformative power of AI to expand opportunities broadly.
https://openai.com/index/lenfest-institute/ - OpenAI and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism have collaborated to launch the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship program, aiming to help newsrooms explore and implement ways in which artificial intelligence can drive business sustainability and innovation in local journalism. The initial round of funding supports five news organizations: Chicago Public Media, Newsday, The Minnesota Star Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Seattle Times. Each organization will receive a grant to hire a two-year AI fellow to pursue projects focusing on improving business sustainability and implementing AI technologies within their organizations. The fellowship also provides OpenAI and Microsoft Azure credits to help these publications experiment and develop tools to assist with local news. The program is designed to promote the use of AI in creating a sustainable future for independent local journalism, empowering newsrooms to explore, implement, and advocate for AI business solutions that uphold the highest ethical standards while strengthening their future prospects.
https://www.journalismai.info/programmes/academy - The JournalismAI Academy is a free online programme offering journalists and media professionals a deep dive into the potential of artificial intelligence. Designed by the JournalismAI team at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and powered by the Google News Initiative, the Academy has been a core programme of the JournalismAI initiative since 2021, training over 180 newsroom professionals globally. The 5-week programme, starting in February 2026, is open to journalists and media professionals from any news organisation in the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of the size of the organisation. The programme aims to help newsrooms leverage the power of artificial intelligence, providing training and resources to integrate AI into their operations effectively.
https://openai.com/index/partnering-with-axios-expands-openai-work-with-the-news-industry/ - OpenAI has partnered with Axios to expand its work with the news industry, providing grants to support AI innovation in newsrooms and operations. Starting in 2023, OpenAI has been collaborating with organizations such as the American Journalism Project, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, and the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) to support both local and global newsrooms through grant programs, API credits, AI education, and AI integration support. OpenAI funded the launch of the American Journalism Project’s Product & AI Studio to support experimentation with AI across their portfolio of 50 local news organizations in 35 states. The Studio has provided direct funding to local news outlets—including Open Campus, Spotlight PA, and Centro de Periodismo Investigativo—as they explore and utilize AI to transcribe and analyze civic meeting notes, translate articles while preserving cultural nuances, equip readers with fast and accurate information to election information, and streamline workflows in resource-constrained newsrooms.
https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-news/five-news-organizations-lenfest-ai-collaborative-fellowship-openai-microsoft/ - The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, OpenAI, and Microsoft have announced that five additional organizations will join the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program, originally launched to help news enterprises leverage artificial intelligence to drive business sustainability and innovation. The new members—ProPublica, Boston Globe Media, The Dallas Morning News, The Baltimore Banner, and Arizona State University’s NEWSWELL—will receive funding to work on projects that enhance audience engagement to help build both subscriptions and membership revenue, assist in organizing story tips sourced from the public, improve content personalization and audience data for advertisers, subscribers, donors, and more. This expansion reflects the growing commitment to supporting news organizations in integrating AI to strengthen their operations and sustainability.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is fresh, with the OpenAI Academy for News Organizations launched on December 17, 2025.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: No direct quotes were identified in the provided text, indicating potential originality or exclusivity.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from Adgully, a reputable media outlet, and references OpenAI's official blog, enhancing credibility.

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims are plausible and align with OpenAI's recent initiatives, such as the Newsroom AI Catalyst program and the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship program.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is fresh, originating from reputable sources, and presents plausible claims consistent with OpenAI's recent initiatives, indicating a high level of credibility.

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