OpenAI has launched the Academy for News Organizations with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute — a dedicated hub where journalists, editors and publishers can learn practical, responsible ways to use AI. It’s designed for real newsroom problems: researching faster, testing product ideas, and sustaining local news.

Why this launch matters now

Newsrooms are under pressure to do more with less while protecting standards. The Academy brings structured, expert-led learning together with community knowledge, so teams can upskill quickly and apply AI tools safely in reporting, production, product and business operations.

What’s inside the Academy

At launch, the hub provides:

• On-demand training, including AI Essentials for Journalists, aimed at reporters and editors new to AI.

• Practical use cases and case studies drawn from real newsroom experiments.

• Technical playbooks for product/technology teams, including guidance for building custom AI tools.

• Responsible-use resources — policies, governance and risk mitigations suited to journalism.

You can browse public content curated for news organisations — from policy templates to open-source tools — directly on the Academy.

Built with journalism partners

The Academy extends OpenAI’s ongoing collaborations with AJP and The Lenfest Institute to support local news and responsible adoption of AI in investigative work, product development and revenue innovation. These partners have already incubated programmes such as AJP’s Product & AI Studio for local publishers.

Who should join

• Reporters and editors who want faster research, data analysis and multilingual support without compromising ethics.

• Audience, product and engineering teams building newsroom tools, automations and prototypes.

• Publishers and business leaders seeking sustainable models informed by AI-enabled efficiencies.

Practical benefits for journalists and publishers

• Stronger reporting: accelerate background research and document review; explore datasets with clear guardrails.

• Smarter production: streamline transcriptions, translations and packaging while preserving editorial judgement.

• Responsible adoption: access policy templates, risk guidelines and good-practice checklists specific to newsrooms.

• Community learning: share lessons across organisations via an expert- and community-led platform.

How it works

The Academy is free to join and designed for self-paced learning, with tracks for different roles. Start with Getting Started modules, move into Use Cases, then explore Advanced Tools for Newsrooms. Organisations can align courses to internal AI policies and product roadmaps.

Responsible AI, front and centre

Journalism needs trust. The Academy emphasises governance and transparency, offering guidance for developing AI usage policies and practical frameworks for safe experimentation — from disclosure and attribution standards to data protection considerations.

How this fits the wider news ecosystem

OpenAI’s work with publishers in 2024–2025 (e.g., partnerships with the Guardian and Axios Local) shows growing momentum to support sustainable, high-quality journalism as AI becomes part of the toolkit — with appropriate attribution and compensation models. The Academy consolidates learning so more newsrooms can participate.

Getting started

1. Visit the OpenAI Academy and select News Organizations to view curated content.

2. Enrol in AI Essentials for Journalists, then bookmark relevant playbooks and policies.

3. Share the hub with your product, legal and data teams to align on responsible adoption.

Next Steps: Want help building an AI adoption plan tailored to your newsroom? Generation Digital can facilitate workshops, draft policy, and prototype workflows using tools your teams already love.

FAQ

Q1: What is the OpenAI Academy for News Organizations?
A learning hub from OpenAI, built with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute, offering on-demand training, playbooks and responsible-AI guidance for journalists and publishers. OpenAI

Q2: Who is it for?
Reporters, editors, product and engineering teams, and publishing leaders who want to integrate AI safely and effectively into newsroom workflows. OpenAI Academy

Q3: What courses are available?
Initial modules include AI Essentials for Journalists plus role-specific sessions for product/tech teams focused on building and evaluating custom tools. OpenAI Academy

Q4: Is it free to access?
Yes — the Academy is publicly accessible, with curated content for news organisations. OpenAI Academy

Q5: How does it address responsible AI?
It provides policy guidance, best-practice frameworks and real newsroom case studies to support safe, transparent adoption. OpenAI Academy