Key concepts: AI in journalism & communications

Verification

Bots invent quotes and facts. Check against primary sources.

SPJ Code of Ethics

Seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; be accountable and transparent. The code was revised on Oct 4, 2026, adding guidance on AI and machine-generated content.

Source protection

Never paste confidential source info into third-party tools.

Disclosure

Many newsrooms disclose AI use; follow your policy.

How chatbots fail

Language models predict likely text. They can produce fluent, confident answers that are wrong, out of date, or that cite sources that do not exist. They also repeat errors in what you paste in. Ask for sources, ask the bot to mark uncertainty, and check everything that matters.

Accuracy and ethics, every time

• Confidentiality: never paste client, patient, student, employee or customer personal data (PII/PHI) into a public bot. Use tools your organization has approved, with contract terms that cover data use, or remove identifiers first.
• Verify everything: bots can invent citations, case law, statistics, doses, code sections and quotes that look real. Check each one against the original source before you rely on it.
• Not professional advice: these tutorials teach you how to use AI tools. They are not legal, medical, tax, financial or engineering advice.
• A human professional is responsible: the licensed or accountable person reviews, decides and signs. The bot drafts; you own the result.
• Prices change: we don't list product prices. Check each vendor's official pricing page.

Official sources for this section

• SPJ Code of Ethics: journalism ethics
• Poynter: AI ethics guidelines: newsroom AI policy starter
• PRSA Code of Ethics: PR ethics
• AP Stylebook: style

Links checked Oct 30, 2026. Rules differ by state and country; follow your licensing body and employer policy.