From classrooms to newsrooms - OpenAI expands initiatives to support journalism

Major, multi-faceted initiative will provide tools, training, partnerships, shared learning and practical enablement for students, educators, journalists and news organizations

OpenAI is providing tools, training and practical experiences for student journalists and news organizations

Open AI is to collaborate with a major journalism school to provide tools and training on how AI can support news organizations and the journalists of the future.

The initiative is to begin with the next generation of reporters at CUNY’S Newmark J-School and Northwestern University’s Medill School.

For the new 2026–2027 academic year, OpenAI is working closely with the Tow-Knight Center for Journalism Futures at the Newmark J-School and the Medill's Knight Lab, two of the leaders in journalism and technology in the Unites States.

It will provide more than 400 ChatGPT Edu subscriptions to interested graduate students and faculty staff at those schools.

OpenAI says journalism students are preparing to enter one of the most dynamic and difficult moments in the history of the news industry.

The technology is already helping reporters, editors, and business teams analyze public records faster, translate stories for broader audiences, uncover patterns in large datasets, search archives, improve reader experiences, assist in marketing and build new products.

This means they can spend more time on the work that matters most: reporting, verification, storytelling, strengthening business and serving communities.

Strengthening the practice and business of journalism

For journalism schools, this creates an important opportunity. Students should graduate not only understanding how AI is changing the profession, but also knowing how to use it thoughtfully, creatively, ethically and responsibly to make their journalism, as well as the business of journalism, stronger.

Gina Chua, Executive Director of the Tow-Knight Center, said: “Generative AI is a transformative technology that will remake the information landscape, and one that the journalism industry will need to adapt to and shape to fulfil our mission of informing the public.

“We intend the Newmark community to be at the forefront of this transformation, and it’s critical that they learn about and be immersed in this technology.

“We’re very grateful to OpenAI for making the tools available to our students and faculty so they can better prepare themselves for this future.”

Jeremy Gilbert, Medill Professor and Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy, added: “Offering equity of access is crucial when incorporating new technologies. The Knight Lab has been working at the intersection of media and AI for more than a decade.

“This support from OpenAI helps us to continue to explore the future of media and technology, allowing faculty to teach and practice journalism in countless new ways.”

Tom Rubin, Chief of Intellectual Property and Content at OpenAI, said the organisation had already been partnering with the news industry to support the use of AI, “while keeping human expertise front and center”.

“We’re excited to see what the next generation of reporters and editors will accomplish with AI as they carry forward journalism’s proud tradition of serving communities through their vital work,” he added.