As journalists search for new and unique angles when covering news and current affairs could AI be harnessed to dig deeper into a topic and explore previously uncovered elements? We turned to Google Gemini AI to find out.
Media Helping Media recently received a training request from a specialist news outlet that wanted us to design an online course to teach its correspondents how to find “original news angles”.
That would have been easy to deliver. We have several free training articles on the topic, including How to develop important news angles and Story development, ensuring all angles are covered.
However, since those articles were written artificial intelligence (AI) has appeared on the scene – and it’s a game-changer.
The free version of Google Gemini AI offers a real-time conversation which can assist journalists by interrogating a global database of information. And the difference between the output and the results of a standard online search is that Gemini engages with the user to dig deeper into the issues that are surfaced during the chat.
We had already tested AI by asking Hey AI, what can you do for journalism?, but now we wanted to focus on the training request we had received, which was specifically about finding new angles.
So we went to Gemini to start a new ‘chat’. The question – or ‘prompt’ as Gemini likes to call it – was “How can AI be used to help journalists find new and unique angles to a story?”
Within seconds Gemini had responded with the following advice on how to use the tool to best effect. Gemini’s reply is indented and in italics below.
“Here are some effective ways to use AI tools to find unique story angles in news journalism”
Generate alternative headlines:
Prompt: “Give me 10 creative and attention-grabbing headlines for a story about [topic].”
Benefit: AI can brainstorm catchy and unexpected angles that you might not have considered.
Identify unexpected connections:
Prompt: “What are some surprising connections between [topic] and [seemingly unrelated topic]?”
Benefit: AI can help you find unusual angles by linking your story to broader trends or issues.
Explore different perspectives:
Prompt: “Write a short news article about [topic] from the perspective of [unexpected character/group].”
Benefit: AI can help you see the story from a fresh angle by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Uncover hidden trends:
Prompt: “Analyse this data set on [topic] and identify any emerging trends or patterns.”
Benefit: AI can help you find hidden stories within large datasets that you might miss otherwise.
Brainstorm creative storytelling techniques:
Prompt: “Suggest some innovative ways to tell the story of [topic] that go beyond traditional news reporting.”
Benefit: AI can inspire you to experiment with new formats like interactive graphics, virtual reality experiences, or data visualisations.
Important Considerations:
Use AI as a tool, not a replacement: Always critically evaluate AI-generated ideas and use your own judgment to determine the best angle for your story.
Be transparent: If you use AI to help you find a story angle, consider acknowledging it in your reporting.
By using AI thoughtfully and strategically, you can enhance your creativity and produce more engaging and insightful news stories.
Media Helping Media’s conclusion
Gemini AI ended by stating that journalists should always focus on human-centred storytelling, and that while AI can be helpful as part of the journalistic process, the most compelling stories are always about people and their experiences. Of course we knew that.
In essence AI was saying that proper journalism requires human intervention and interpretation.
However AI does invite journalists to enter a conversation. This means that you can question the answers AI gives in order to dig deeper and deeper into a topic. And all the time your knowledge increases as AI harnesses ‘machine learning’.
Machine learning is a subset of AI that allows systems to learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. These systems use algorithms to analyse data, identify patterns, and make predictions or decisions based on those patterns. It is trained on massive datasets using advanced machine learning techniques which enable them to:
- Understand and generate human language (text)
- Process and interpret images, videos, and audio
- Generate different kinds of creative content
- Solve complex problems
So, based on the above, why would a journalist or a newsroom choose to ignore the free advice, research, and problem-solving suggestions offered by AI?
Previously we had tested AI’s ability to assist editorial brainstorming from the perspective of a lone reporter working in the field and unable to bounce ideas off a colleague. In the scenario Hey AI, I’m out on a story – can you help? AI came up with some excellent story angles.
Then we tested AI in the newsroom environment from the perspective of an editor running the morning news meeting. The scenario was Hey AI, what’s on the news agenda today?
The response to both scenarios was a list of story ideas far too long to cover, but they served to help the journalist see the possible wider development of the topic they were covering.
What each of these exercises taught is that turning to AI for ideas for story angles doesn’t replace brainstorming with colleagues, but it does offer a wide selection of story ideas and angles to consider which might previously have been missed.
So, in the same way that a daily news meeting would consult the newsroom diary, the wires, and what was being covered by the competition, in order to determine what was on the news agenda for the day, journalists should also consider enlisting AI to try to make sure nothing is missed – and that the unexpected and previously unexplored is revealed.
It’s just the latest example of how technology has continually helped journalists gather and present the journalism they produce.
Previous Media Helping Media training modules – prior to the arrival of AI in its current form (written Jan 2025) – focus more on the human input to the process. Articles such as How to run an effective news meeting and Getting the best out of a news meeting are still relevant today. However those processes, disciplines and demands are now enhanced by the availability of AI and machine learning.
