GIJN Joins Paris Charter on AI and Journalism

On November 10th, 2023, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 16 partner organizations published the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism, on the occasion of Paris Peace Forum. Work on the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism was launched in July 2023 in partnership with civil society organizations, experts in artificial intelligence, media representatives, and journalists.

The charter was written by a commission that was brought together by RSF and was chaired by Maria Ressa, a journalist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. The commission comprised 32 prominent persons from 20 different countries who are specialists in journalism or AI. The goal was clear – to determine a set of fundamental ethical principles to protect the integrity of news and information in the AI age, when these technologies are poised to transform the media industry.

GIJN joined with these partners to review principles that can help guide the work of journalists, newsrooms, and media outlets when using artificial intelligence as part of their investigative work.

During the past few years, various journalism organizations — including GIJN members ICIJ, OCCRP, and the Pulitzer Center — have experimented with the use of AI to help advance investigations. This has included the development of tools, mining of records, as well as watchdog reporting on the use of artificial intelligence itself.

A recent example of using AI in investigative work was the Corredor Furtivo project by Armando.info and El País, which was recognized as one of the 2023 Global Shining Light Award winners. It used satellite data, machine learning, and field reporting to uncover over 3,000 mining locations — most of them illegal — and deforested areas equivalent to 40,000 soccer fields, many of them close to clandestine runways, in the south of Venezuela.

“While AI has added exciting opportunities to investigative journalists’ toolboxes, it also poses various challenges,” said GIJN Executive Director Emilia Díaz-Struck. “Verification techniques, resource and knowledge sharing, use of AI accompanied with traditional reporting techniques, as well as transparency are some of the processes our community has developed to keep high journalism standards while working with AI. GIJN is honored to join the conversations on how AI can help investigative journalism, and how our community can overcome some of the challenges AI poses while reporting on stories that explore broken systems and hold the powerful to account.”

The Charter defines 10 key principles for safeguarding the integrity of information and preserving journalism’s social role. Inter alia, the core principles state:

• Ethics must govern technological choices within the media;
• Human agency must remain central in editorial decisions;
• The media must help society to distinguish between authentic and synthetic content with confidence;
• The media must participate in global AI governance and defend the viability of journalism when negotiating with tech companies.

Committee Members :

Maria Ressa (Chair), 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, journalist and founder of Rappler media (Philippines)
Charlie Beckett, Professor at the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics (United Kingdom)
Emily Bell, Professor at the Columbia School of Journalism and Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism (United States)
Veysel Binbay, Director of Technology at the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) (Malaysia)
Lars Boering, director of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) (Netherlands)
Lisa Campbell, Director of Corporate Communications at Independent Television Network (ITN) (United Kingdom)
Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director at Agence France-Presse (AFP), (United Kingdom)
Nighat Dad, Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan)
Renée Diresta, Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory (United States)
Emilia Díaz-Struck, Executive Director at Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) (Venezuela)
Kathy English, Chair of the Canadian Journalism Foundation (Canada)
Camille François, Lecturer in International and Public Affairs, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (France)
Jodie Ginsberg, President of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (United States)
Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited (Netherlands)
Justyna Kurczabinska, Head of News Strategy and Transformation, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) (Poland)
Jan Lublinski, director of Policy and Learning, DW Akademie, Deutsche Welle (Germany)
Gary Marcus, Founder and CEO, Center for the Advancement of Trustworthy AI; Professor Emeritus, New York University (Canada)
Frane Maroevic, Executive Director of the International Press Institute (IPI) (Austria)
Mira Milosevic, Executive Director of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) (Serbia)
Hanna Möllers, General Counsel of the German Federation of Journalists (DJV) (Germany)
Tabani Moyo, Convenor of International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), Regional Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) (Zimbabwe)
Bruno Patino, President of the Franco-German channel Arte (France)
Paul Radu, Co-founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) (Romania)
Martha C. Ramos Sosa, President of the World Editors Forum at the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) (Mexico)
Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley and founder of the Center for Human-compatible AI (CHAI) (United States)
Gerard Ryle, Director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) (Ireland)
Eric Scherer, Chair, News Committee at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Director of the News MediaLab and International Affairs at France Télévisions (France)
Anya Schiffrin, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (United States)
Wairagala Wakabi, Executive Director of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) (Uganda)
Marina Walker Guevara, executive editor of the Pulitzer Center (United States)
Aidan White, founder of the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) and former Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (United Kingdom)
Antonio Zappulla, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation (Italy)
Commission Rapporteur: Arthur Grimonpont, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (France)

List of Partner Organizations

Initiator:

Reporters Without Borders

Partners:

Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)
Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
DW Akademie
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Journalism Centre (EJC)
Ethical Journalism Network (EJN)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
Pulitzer Center
Thomson Foundation