AI Tools Help Local Newsrooms Expand Coverage of Public Meetings
Local journalism is getting a technological boost as AI-powered tools become increasingly integrated into reporters' workflows. News outlets like Chalkbeat and the Midcoast Villager are using transcription services powered by large language models (LLMs) to stay on top of public meetings, find new sources, and expand their coverage areas without stretching thin newsroom resources.
One such tool, LocalLens, has become essential for Chalkbeat Detroit education reporter Hannah Dellinger. On March 7, she published a story highlighting the rise in hate speech faced by LGBTQ+ students in Michigan schools since President Donald Trump took office. The lead voice in her report was Sebastian Eaton-Ellison, a gender-fluid high school senior who has faced persistent bullying and physical assaults.
Dellinger found Eaton-Ellison’s emotional testimony not in person, but by using LocalLens to search keywords from a Traverse City school board meeting—an event she wasn’t able to attend. “I’m not able to physically go to every single board meeting,” Dellinger explained. “Even watching them online, or looking at all the agendas, can take up an entire day.” Traverse City is a four-hour drive from Detroit, highlighting the logistical challenges many local reporters face.
Thanks to LocalLens, which automatically transcribes and summarizes public meetings, Dellinger was able to discover Eaton-Ellison’s powerful account. “My source, Sebastian Eaton-Ellison, is a kid who in that moment, at that board meeting, for the first time ever, spoke up publicly,” she said. “I don’t know that I would have found him if I wasn’t using this tool.”
The use of AI transcription tools is on the rise among journalists covering local government. These technologies can automatically generate summaries of town halls, school board meetings, and even state legislative hearings. While they aren’t producing publishable transcripts or complete stories, they are proving to be valuable assets for reporters to find potential leads, verify events, and follow up on new developments.
Eric Gorski, managing editor for local news at Chalkbeat, has overseen the integration of these tools in his newsroom. “We are going to be in the rooms where we need to be, where the big decisions are being made, but we can’t be everywhere all the time,” Gorski said. “The summaries are springboards for more reporting. It’s not a replacement for coverage, and we’re not trusting AI to get these things right. It’s more like a news tip.”
As newsrooms continue to grapple with shrinking resources and increasing demands, AI transcription services like LocalLens offer a practical solution to broaden coverage and uncover important stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
