New article: Understanding AI, Journalism and Media Freedom

How artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism — protecting reporters in some cases, and undermining them in others.

This week saw a celebration of World Press Freedom Day. This annual event has a strong focus on AI and Journalism this year. So, in light of that, I wrote a new article for the International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) exploring this topic and how artificial intelligence is both simultaneously empowering and endangering media freedom.

You can read it here:
👉 AI and Media Freedom: A Double-Edged Sword

I’ve been tracking the impact of AI on journalism for some time now, but as Generative AI accelerates these trends, this relationship has evolved tobecome more complex nd complicated.

✅ On the one hand, AI tools are being used to protect journalists in repressive regimes, streamline production workflows, and even improve digital security. In Venezuela, for example, one newsroom used AI-generated avatars to shield the identities of its reporters. Tools like JESS, launched at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, are being developed to support journalist safety in multiple languages and contexts.

❌ On the other hand, AI is also contributing to job losses, spreading disinformation, and enabling automated surveillance and censorship. These risks are especially acute in environments with limited press protections or where media independence is already under threat.

This piece looks at both sides of the coin. It offers real-world case studies demonstrating the complexity of this topic. I hope this article contributes to a broader conversation about how we adopt new AI technologies in newsrooms and in the service of journalism and media freedom.

📖 Read the full article on IJNet:
👉 https://ijnet.org/en/story/ai-and-media-freedom-double-edged-sword

About the Author

Damian Radcliffe is a journalist, researcher, and professor based at the University of Oregon. He holds the Chambers Chair in Journalism and is a Professor of Practice, an affiliate faculty member of the Department for Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA) and the Agora Journalism Center, and a Research Associate of the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR).

He is an expert on digital trends, social media, technology, the business of media, the evolution of present-day journalistic practice, and the role played by media and technology in the Middle East.