A workshop dedicated to journalists who intervene in classrooms

Média Animation organized a TADAM workshop on February 20, 2025, at the Media and Information Education Center of ESJ Lille, aimed at journalists involved in media and information education sessions for the public.

Titled “Reflection on the Positive and Negative Roles of AI in Media Production and How Media Education Could Address It,” the primary objective of the workshop was to promote a bottom-up methodology by engaging local professionals and practitioners. This was achieved through the collection of perspectives, challenges, and best practices related to media and information education, with a specific focus on AI and algorithms. The broader impact aimed at improving media education strategies and fostering informed and critical engagement with AI-driven media environments.

Participants were first invited to share a personal or professional anecdote where they realized they were interacting with AI and how this awareness changed their perception. Various aspects were discussed, such as how we communicate with AI and its impact on responses, the importance of not personifying AI, enthusiasm for the time saved on tedious tasks, and the lack of time for participants to explore every new AI tool introduced to the market.

Next, participants engaged in the “Six Thinking Hats” exercise in subgroups, each adopting a specific perspective to identify issues posed by AI and its impact on the production and reception of information. Using a portfolio of articles or their own knowledge, they analyzed these issues from skeptical, optimistic, creative, and emotional viewpoints, which were then collectively shared.

Optimistic Perspective

This group highlighted AI as an assistive tool for journalism, supporting translation, transcription, headline and summary generation, as well as proofreading and rewriting. AI offers time-saving benefits without replacing human input. Its use should be guided by ethical frameworks ensuring human verification and validation. Rather than replacing jobs, AI demands greater versatility and upskilling. Additionally, AI could encourage the rise of niche media and support local journalism by broadening media coverage of previously overlooked events. Developing new skills, such as effective prompting, is becoming essential for journalists and communicators. AI represents an evolution in journalism, comparable to the invention of the printing press or word processing, requiring a thoughtful approach rather than outright rejection.

Skeptical Perspective

This subgroup expressed more concern about the companies behind AI than the technology itself. The acceleration of processes raises the risk of information overload, particularly through the spread of fake news aimed at influencing public debate. In the wrong hands, AI can become a powerful tool for manipulation, as demonstrated in political events such as elections. Its impact on employment is a significant concern, with automation replacing tasks like proofreading, translation, and transcription, potentially leading to job losses. Furthermore, does AI truly enhance journalistic writing, or does it merely boost productivity? Another challenge is the risk of AI self-feeding on its own outputs, potentially degrading information quality. Unlike peer-reviewed scientific knowledge, AI-generated content often lacks rigorous validation. Additionally, AI’s environmental impact remains poorly quantified, and the supposed time-saving benefits are questionable if everything still requires human verification. These concerns highlight the need for a well-regulated and thoughtful approach to AI in journalism and media.

Creative Perspective

This group explored new questions regarding education and regulation. Could prompt engineering become a school subject, teaching students how to interact effectively with AI? A complementary approach would be to make Media and Information Education (MIE) mandatory from an early age, helping children understand and use AI responsibly. Regarding regulation, the group imagined an AI-governed system, a “Police of AI by AI,” with absolute and inviolable rules ensuring honesty and fairness. Additionally, AI itself could be leveraged to find solutions to the problems it creates, fostering autonomous control. Its potential in communication is vast: AI can adapt raw content to different audiences, significantly expanding reach. AI is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for reinvention and the creation of new professions.

Emotional Perspective

This subgroup emphasized that AI requires the development of new competencies, particularly efficient prompting, but also a strong cultural background to maximize its potential. At the same time, it raises ethical concerns about digital labor, referring to the underpaid workers training AI behind the scenes. AI’s role in areas such as SEO optimization can be an asset but may also undermine traditional professional skills. A broader concern is whether delegating tasks to AI risks diminishing human intelligence. Just as digital tools have externalized our memory, does AI risk weakening our intellectual capacities and leading to the loss of essential skills?

Educational Implications

In the second part of the workshop, participants built on their subgroup discussions to explore educational challenges: How should AI-generated informational content be approached? What are the key issues to address? What should be taught, and how should reception be guided?

A collective brainstorming session, using post-it notes, was conducted to outline the structure of an educational sequence. Key elements of this sequence include:

1. Understanding the Basics:
   • The news production process and the realities of journalism.
   • Identifying biases and verifying sources.
   • Cultivating skepticism: developing verification reflexes, assessing information reliability, critical thinking, and asking, “Who is speaking to me?”
2. Technical Understanding of Generative AI:
   • What AI is and what it is not.
   • AI operates on probability models.
   • AI is trained on datasets, primarily referencing Western sources.
3. Exploring the Pros and Cons of AI:
   • How can AI provide added value?
   • How to recognize AI-generated content in text and images.
   • The importance of cultural knowledge: the more precise and descriptive a prompt, the higher the quality of AI-generated results.
   • Economic considerations: paid access, data usage, local vs. external AI processing.
4. Teaching Methods and Approaches:
   • Many young people use AI unknowingly – introduce real-life case studies.
   • Start from students’ existing knowledge and experiences.
   • Role-playing exercises: how to outsmart AI, think like a conspiracy theorist.
   • Hands-on activities: generating AI content and then identifying its limitations, risks vs. benefits.
   • Focus on understanding AI’s mechanisms and potential flaws rather than attempting to make it “hallucinate.”