The development of artificial intelligence means a robot can now, with a few simple prompts, scrape the internet for information on a given topic, analyze it, summarize it in seconds, and produce any form of written content about it.  

So what does this mean for journalism, a profession that has at its core the service of gathering and sharing factual information about the world to help us all understand it a little better? Is this task something we would, or should, trust a robot to do? 

That’s a big question. At The Equity we feel strongly that the answer is ‘no’. But we cannot deny the increased development of this technology will have implications for this line of work, forcing us to hone in on what exactly it is we offer that a robot cannot do, and make the case for why, even if a robot can do it, having a human do it will leave us all better off. 

To be very clear: all stories produced by The Equity will always be thought through and written by a human. You will never have to wonder whether you’re reading the product of artificial intelligence or of a human brain that has taken the time to listen to the world, synthesize the information received, and tell a story. 

But there will be uses of AI that will make it possible for us to do our jobs better and faster, leaving us more time to focus on finding stories that are unique to the Pontiac, and talking to the people at their centres. 

So as we head into a new year, we’re sharing our first policy on how we use AI in our newsroom. This policy will no doubt evolve as we learn more about this technology, but its purpose is to offer complete transparency with how and where AI is being used. 

This policy has three components: 

News content: any reported news story, feature, editorial, column, or opinion piece that carries a byline and represents original journalistic work produced for The Equity. 

Non-News Content: Other items that come from The Equity, but not necessarily considered News.  An example would be our feature “The Way We Were” or our locally curated crossword puzzle.

Advertising Content: Any paid advertisements, sponsored materials, or creative assets developed by The Equity or Calumet Media on behalf of clients.

We will use the following scale to tell you what level of AI is being used to produce any of the above content. 

• Level 0: Human-Created Only
  Content is entirely human-written with no AI involvement at all.
• Level 1: AI Proofreading & AI-Assisted Research
  The story is human-created, and AI has only been used to proofread the content or assist with translation to another language. AI may have helped with some research or data analysis. 
• Level 2: AI Small Section Contribution
  AI has created a small portion of the content that a human has expanded or heavily edited. This can include illustrations or other non-photographic visual elements of a story.
• Level 3: Human-AI 50/50 Collaboration
  The content is roughly half human-generated and half AI-generated, representing an even collaboration.
• Level 4: AI-Majority with Human Editing
  AI has generated the majority of the content, with some human adjustments.
• Level 5: Fully AI-Generated with Human Proofread
  Content is entirely generated by AI, with only a final human proofread for quality.

 

AI Use in News Content

Almost all of our newsroom content will remain at Level 0 or Level 1. This means humans have done the interviews, gathered the facts, and written and edited the story. This also means all photos (that are meant to represent reality) published with our reporting have been taken by our reporters out in the world. 

AI may be used to assist with research, to help make sense of large amounts of data, to proofread, and to assist with translation. Our policy commits to disclosing any instance where AI plays a more substantive role in producing content for The Equity, defined as Level 2 or above. This label will appear near the author’s name at the top of the article, both in print and online. 

When it comes to submitted content, we ask that AI not be used to write opinion pieces, such as letters to the editor, or any other content for publication in The Equity. 

The determination of AI usage levels in news content rests with the editor, who holds final responsibility for all newsroom output. No AI output, at any level, may overrule the editorial decision-making of The Equity’s newsroom staff.

For full transparency, this News Content Policy, while not news content itself, would be a Level 2. AI was used to research how other news organizations are using AI and generated an initial draft of some of this content. 

Ethical Boundaries for AI in News Content

The Equity maintains strict ethical standards for how AI may be used in the creation of newsroom content. These standards protect the integrity of our reporting, the trust of our readers, and the credibility of our journalists. To that end, AI will never be used in ways that compromise accuracy, authenticity, or editorial independence. Specifically:

• AI will not fabricate quotes, sources, events, or facts.  All information included in news content must originate from verified human reporting.
• AI-generated information will not be treated as factual without human verification. Any AI-assisted research must be checked by a journalist for accuracy, relevance, and context.
• AI will not impersonate sources or conduct interviews. All source interactions remain strictly human-led.
• AI-generated images will not be represented as documentary photographs. If an AI-generated visual is ever used for illustrative purposes, it will be clearly labeled as such.
• Confidential or sensitive materials will not be entered into external AI systems. Journalists will not upload unpublished reporting, private documents, or identifiable source information into AI tools unless those tools are approved by the Editor and meet privacy and security requirements.
• Human editorial judgment always prevails. No AI output—at any level—may overrule the editorial decision-making of The Equity’s newsroom staff.

These boundaries ensure that AI remains a supportive tool—not a substitute—for journalistic ethics, human reporting, and public accountability.

AI Use in Non-News Content

When it comes to the non-newsroom sections of The Equity, we apply a similar spirit of transparency while recognizing that these types of content have a different purpose and tone. Non-newsroom content includes features like “The Way We Were,” which is a historical retrospective drawn from past issues, as well as local crosswords that mix original material with a bit of research. We also consider how we use AI in the marketing of our own material.

In these areas, we may be a bit more flexible with AI tools, using them to help compile historical snippets, suggest clues for puzzles, or assist in drafting promotional copy. While we will still be clear about AI involvement, the nature of these pieces allows for a bit more creative flexibility. 

By default, our use of AI for non-newsroom content will range from a Level 3 to a Level 4.  Our commitment is to label any non-newsroom content at Level 5.

Overall, we remain committed to human creativity as the heart of The Equity. Even in non-newsroom content, we will be transparent about when and how we use AI, ensuring that our readers always know the balance between human and machine in every piece.

AI Use in Advertising

In the realm of advertising, especially when we create and edit ads for our clients, we take a more integrated approach to using artificial intelligence. AI is essentially part of the fabric of the software and tools we use day-to-day (such as Photoshop, Word, or Outlook), and it has significantly streamlined and enhanced our ad production process.

We fully expect that AI will have a hand in almost every advertisement we produce. Whether it’s optimizing images, tailoring copy, or refining the layout, AI helps us deliver more effective and efficient results for our clients. While we remain committed to the creativity and strategy that our human team brings, the role of AI in advertising is a given.

In short, when it comes to our advertising services, our clients can expect that AI is an integral part of the process (even reaching Level 5), helping us craft ads that are not only creative but also highly effective and tailored to their needs.  

AI Use at Calumet Media

The Equity is owned by Calumet Media, a local digital marketing company.  At Calumet Media as a whole, AI plays a role not just in the specific areas we’ve discussed—like news content, non-news content, and advertising—but also in the broader operations and services we provide. We use AI tools to streamline internal workflows, improve client communications, and even enhance the digital products we build, like websites and apps.

We believe that AI is a powerful tool that, when used thoughtfully, can help us deliver better and more efficient services to our clients in the Pontiac region and beyond. At the same time, we always aim to strike a balance, ensuring that the human element remains at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to transparency about how we use AI across the board, and we’re always happy to discuss with our clients how these tools factor into our work.

AI is woven into many layers of Calumet Media’s operations, but always with the goal of enhancing our services and maintaining the trust and creativity that define us.

Questions or Comments?

If you have any questions regarding the use of AI within The Equity, please reach out to us at support@theequity.ca.   

You may also reach out to our Editor directly by emailing editor@theequity.ca.