How we use AI at KSHB
You may have noticed this transparency disclaimer at the bottom of some of our recent stories on KSHB.com.
“This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”
The disclaimer helps to identify when KSHB 41 journalists use AI. Our parent company, Scripps, introduced an internal AI chatbot tool to help our journalists with some tasks.
This article details how we use AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic. It also explains how we won’t use the tools, as well as the checks and balances we have set up in our newsroom.
A group of KSHB journalists formed an AI Committee to help inform local guidelines and provide training to newsroom staff on the use of AI.
This is in addition to Scripps’ company policies on using AI. A copy of those policies is available at this link.
As with any piece of technology, things can change. The KSHB 41 News AI Committee pledges to update this article if any changes affect our journalism.
Commitment to transparency and editorial review
- We commit to being transparent with the audience when AI is used in a significant way in a story. This includes story format conversions or large-scale data analysis.
- We commit to journalists being responsible for our final product, regardless of how AI is involved in our process.
- As technology evolves, we commit to transparently updating our policies.
How we do not use AI
- We do not use AI to write stories or scripts from scratch.
- We do not use AI to generate photorealistic images.
Example: Converting a broadcast script to a digital web story:
Our most common use of AI is using the tool to convert TV scripts from a broadcast format to a digital story.
Here's what a broadcast script might look like. This script is written to accompany video:
ADARIUS WELLS IS ONE OF AROUND 170 LOCAL JOBS THEY HAVE CURRENTLY IN THE METRO.
((ADARIUS WELLS //NEW HIRE, MASTER'S TRANSPORTATION))
There's a lot of jobs outside of the Kansas City area, or you have to do your hand at remote, hybrid, online.
NOW HE HAS A NEW JOB.. IN A NEW OFFICE SPACE.
((RACHEL VALDIVIEZ//HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER))
because of the growth of the company, we were in five separate buildings in Belton.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER RACHEL VALDIVIEZ SAYS THE MOVE WAS ABOUT BRINGING THE WHOLE COMPANY UNDER ONE ROOF.
FROM SALES… TO PRODUCTION.
((RACHEL VALDIVIEZ//HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER))
we came out of a little tiny space where they could maybe work on six at a time into a massive space where we can kinda ramp up.
When we ask our chatbot tool to convert the script’s format, this is what the digital version looks like:
Adarius Wells started his first day in sales on Monday at Master's Transportation.
"My new job title is business development representative," said Wells, a new hire at Master's Transportation.
Wells said finding a job in his hometown was essential.
"There's a lot of jobs outside of the Kansas City area, or you have to do your hand at remote, hybrid, online," Wells said.
The goal behind the company's move was to get everyone, from production to sales, under one roof.
The company sells and runs customized buses and shuttles.
"Because of the growth of the company, we were in five separate buildings in Belton," said Rachel Valdiviez, human resources manager at Master's Transportation.
The move also significantly increases production capacity.
"We came out of a little tiny space where they could maybe work on six at a time into a massive space where we can kinda ramp up," Valdiviez said.
Our journalists understand that human review is necessary.
This includes checking for errors and adding more context and information that might not have made the TV version. All stories are edited and reviewed before publication.
Summarizing lengthy documents
We might give lengthy reports, meeting summaries or other similar documents to the chatbot tool and ask it to identify the main takeaways and newsworthy angles.
Story ideas
Our greatest tool when it comes to finding stories in our community will always be our journalists, but when seeking out follow-ups and related coverage, AI can be a starting point for finding creative angles.
