Media Party New York @ Brown - 2026

In this hands-on workshop, we'll cover free and low-cost AI tools that are useful for journalists. Participants get a handout with links to all of the tools and a folder full of data and resources to test them with. We'll cover tools such as Visualping, Summarize.tech, LLMs and Custom GPTs, NotebookLM and many other tools. Mike also will introduce you to the Journalist's Toolbox (journaliststoolbox.ai) and the free resources it offers. He'll also cover privacy settings and preferences/custom instructions for LLMs. Bring a laptop for a fun-filled 90-minute workshop.

The session will focus on how small and mid-sized news organizations can leverage tools like ChatGPT, NotebookLM, and Google Pinpoint to strengthen reporting, streamline editorial operations, and extend the capacity of lean teams—without compromising journalistic standards.
Leading this workshop is Vania André, the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Haitian Times. Vania will draw on her direct experience implementing AI at every step of The Haitian Times’ editorial workflow, from editing, to data visualizations, to producing scripts for social media videos.
The workshop’s co-presenter, Natalie Van Hoozer, will provide additional case studies of other independent, local digital news organizations across the country utilizing AI in their editorial and operations processes. In Natalie’s work with independent, digital news around the U.S. and Canada, she sees firsthand how these news organizations maintain trust with the local communities they serve while implementing new tech and AI workflows. One example Natalie will highlight is Mat-Su Sentinel, a local publication serving a rural Alaska community.