Scroll Smarter: AI in journalism

Nov. 10, 2026

in this issue

Family Q&A | Top story | Bonus reads | Video of the month | Talk together

What kind of journalism will our kids inherit?

Question: 

How do I explain to kids what is happening with AI and news media? What is the future for journalistic integrity in this information landscape?

— Worried for the future

Answer: 

A good place to start is to remember that quality journalism is centered around people.

News stories come together after human journalists gather information from a variety of sources, including through interviewing people about current events they’ve witnessed firsthand or have expert opinions about. Whether you’re watching an established TV news broadcast or scrolling past a journalist on TikTok speed-talking into a miniature microphone, credible news starts and ends with people.

However, it’s true that AI has made its way into newsrooms. A study of AI use in 101 newsrooms from 2022 to 2025 found that newsrooms are using AI mostly for tasks they were already doing, such as transcribing interviews, analyzing large datasets and summarizing dense government reports. In fact, there were eight awardees of this year’s Pulitzer Prize, the highest honor in American journalism, who disclosed using AI to assist in their reporting process. (This does not mean they used it to help them write their news stories, a practice that’s forbidden in most standards-based newsrooms.)

Journalists working in the same newsroom may have different approaches to AI as standards-based newsrooms develop AI policies and guardrails. Some newsrooms, such as the tech news website Wired, publish their AI policies publicly. This is a good practice, considering that most people (94%) want journalists to disclose AI, according to a 2024 survey by Trusting News.

As with any new technology, newsrooms have made some mistakes surrounding the use of AI. The Chicago Sun-Times last year published a reading guide written by a freelancer that contained fake AI-generated book titles. The paper promptly retracted it and later updated its policies for AI use.

AI cannot replace on-the-ground original reporting. For example, if a local newspaper is covering a story about a large house fire, an editor would likely send a photographer to take photos and a reporter would interview the fire department and witnesses to gather information about what happened. AI cannot conduct these kinds of interviews or capture authentic photos from the scene of a story.

No matter the changes in technology, the ethical standards guiding responsible newsgathering stay the same. So, when kids ask about AI in journalism, remind them that the standards and values of quality journalism, such as accountability, transparency and verification, aren’t going anywhere.

➡️ Do you have a question for us? Share it in this form and we may answer it in a future issue. We can address questions about artificial intelligence, social media, journalism, misinformation and more in a family-oriented way.

⭐ You’ll win swag from the News Literacy Project if your question is picked! Questions may be edited or rephrased for clarity and length.

Meet your kid’s AI tutor

Has your kid mentioned a purple-haired tutor named Amira? They could be talking about an AI tool instead of a human.

What to know:

🤖 Some schools are using Amira, an AI tutoring program that listens to elementary school students real aloud and gives them feedback.

🚩 Parents in Rhode Island have expressed concern about their kids’ data privacy and the program’s ability to understand students with speech impediments or disabilities.

📍 Amira is also in use at some schools in other states, including California and New Mexico.

What you can do:

💻 Not all schools use AI the same way. Ask your school district how it uses AI with students or how it teaches digital literacy.

🗨️ Consider less obvious ways kids interact with AI from a young age, such as talking to voice assistants like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. Explain that while these interfaces may sound friendly, it’s a computer answering, not a human, advises Jennifer Katzenstein, co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

🔍 For teens: Try taking this New York Times quiz on AI regulations with your children to spark thoughtful discussions about AI use.

➡️ Use this infographic for more teen safety tips on using AI.

⭐ Maxxing trend: Most teens are likely familiar with Dictionary.com’s word of the year, “maxxing,” which is short for maximizing. You can add it to other words to show that you’re doing something to the fullest, like “mommymaxxing” or “sleepmaxxing.”

➕ Bloomscrolling: Instead of doomscrolling, some folks are trying “bloomscrolling.” This social media trend encourages people to curate their feeds with uplifting posts by intentionally following inspiring, educational or humorous accounts.

📲 Controlling algorithms: This mom-to-be told Instagram she is no longer interested in seeing birth and pregnancy content in her feed — and the platform listened, as part of a new feature allowing users to tailor their algorithms.

🎵 AI music: Is your family listening to music on YouTube? You may see new labels for AI-generated music: fully Gen AI or Partly Gen AI.

🧠 Fake memories: Scientists found that AI-generated content can plant false memories that people believe are real.

Which cat video is AI-generated?

Online culture has long been obsessed with cat content, which makes it an easy target for people seeking cheap engagement with AI fakes. In this “Two Truths and AI” video, can you spot the fake cat footage? Watch with your family and see who gets it right!

New section alert! Check out this part of the newsletter each month for a family conversation prompt to help you and your kids connect and sharpen your news literacy skills.

Ask your kids: What do you think is a good way to stay informed about news and current events? What could we do differently as a family?

How do you like this newsletter?

Thanks for reading!

Your monthly issue of Scroll Smarter is created by Susan Minichiello, Peter Adams and Hannah Covington. It is edited by Lourdes Venard.