Ethics of AI in Canadian newsrooms: Are they keeping up?

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools gain ground in Canadian newsrooms, a team of researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) set out to answer a pressing question: Are journalistic ethics evolving just as quickly?

While AI offers efficiencies such as automating repetitive tasks, summarizing articles and translating stories, it also raises ethical questions that journalism may not yet be ready to answer. “We wanted to explore existing journalistic ethics and whether they were growing and adapting in Canadian newsrooms in response to these disruptive technologies,” explained journalism professor Angela Misri. She led the research team, comprising professors Nicole Blanchett and April Lindgren from TMU’s The Creative School.

The team interviewed journalists from a range of Canadian newsrooms and analyzed their insights through field theory, a sociological lens that looks at both formal and informal “rules of the game” within a profession. Prior research using this framework shows journalists often rely on intuition and professional judgment, especially where formal ethical guidance is lacking.

“Field theory is ideal for understanding how internal and external pressures – like the need to remain relevant – affect journalistic practices involving AI,” said professor Blanchett.

Unclear standards and ethical blind spots

One of the project’s most striking findings was the lack of ethical frameworks or internal dialogue around AI use. “People in newsrooms were frustrated with the lack of direction from leadership and the very inconsistent levels of AI literacy amongst colleagues,” said professor Misri. For example, some journalists didn’t know whether the newswire content they used was AI-generated and assumed someone else had vetted it.

“We included the quote ‘there’s a rule book in my head’ in the title of the paper, as it perfectly encapsulates this idea that in terms of AI, for many, there is an assumption that journalists can make the right choices based on their gut instinct,” noted professor Blanchett. However, this assumption, which is not always accurate, increases the risk of mistakes and damage to audience trust.

The researchers point to a recent high-profile incident in which an AI tool generated a summer reading list with fake titles. As part of a syndicated news section, the list was subsequently published in several daily newspapers. “When there’s an AI controversy related to journalism, it doesn’t just affect one outlet – it impacts the reputation of journalism in general,” professor Blanchett noted.

The impact of AI on local news outlets 

These challenges are especially critical for local news outlets, which often lack the resources and expertise to explore the ethical integration of AI, according to professor Lindgren. And yet, “There’s lots of potential for AI to help local newsrooms with everything from generating article summaries that appear at the beginning of stories to translating stories into different languages to reach diverse audiences,” she said.

Larger newsrooms, in Canada and abroad, “are moving faster both in adopting AI and having conversations about the ethics of using it to produce and market journalistic work,” said professor Misri. “Smaller outlets are just trying to keep up,” often without the funding to explore these opportunities, she said.

A call for national ethical standards

While international research exists, few projects have examined the unique dynamics of Canada’s media environment. The research team identified an urgent need for conversations that would lead to the development of ethical standards around AI use. “Newsrooms need to figure out what audience expectations are concerning AI in order to protect their brands and their relevance,” said professor Blanchett. 

Read professors Misri, Blanchett and Lindgren's paper, “‘There’s a Rule Book in my Head’: Journalism Ethics Meet AI in the Newsroom” (external link)  in Digital Journalism.