AI in Journalism Education: An Experimental Study on the Impact of Foundational Training on AI-Assisted News Writing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60072/ijeissah.2026.v4i02.001Abstract
This study is motivated by the rapid development of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, which have transformed journalistic practices. While AI enhances efficiency in content production, it also raises concerns regarding accuracy, bias, and ethics. In educational settings, many students rely on AI tools without sufficient foundational journalistic skills, resulting in passive and uncritical use and a gap between technological adoption and professional competence. This research examines the impact of basic journalism training on students’ competence in producing AI-assisted news articles. It specifically investigates whether instruction in fundamental journalistic principles improves the quality, objectivity, and publishability of AI-supported news writing. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design was employed, involving 57 communication science students divided into an experimental group and a control group. Both groups wrote news articles using ChatGPT; however, only the experimental group received basic journalism training. Writing quality was evaluated by an expert panel, while students’ knowledge and self-confidence were measured through questionnaires administered before and after the intervention. The findings reveal a significant competence gap between the two groups. The experimental group demonstrated notable improvements in journalistic knowledge (mean increase of +2.07 points) and self-confidence, whereas the control group experienced a decline (mean decrease of −1.87 points). Training promoted critical, ethical AI use, moving students from copy‑pasting to editing, verifying, and directing outputs to journalistic standards. The findings show that foundational journalism training and curriculum‑integrated AI literacy enable productive, responsible AI use.
Keywords:
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Journalism, Journalism Education, News WritingReferences
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