A new report has identified a widening skills gap in UK newsrooms, revealing that while artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded in journalistic workflows, most organisations lack formal training to support its responsible use.
The Future Newsroom report, published by Trint, draws on quantitative data and qualitative interviews with 23 newsroom professionals and academics from around the world. Trint, an AI powered transcription and content creation platform, was founded by Emmy Award winning journalist Jeff Kofman. The study examines how generative AI is reshaping journalistic skills and expectations amid rapid technological change.
Findings show that many newsrooms are already experimenting with AI tools, particularly for transcription, translation, and data analysis. However, adoption remains cautious and is largely focused on efficiency rather than deeper transformation. Despite this growing reliance, the majority of organisations have no structured AI training programme in place.
The report highlights a strong consensus around the need for AI literacy. Over half of respondents, 52%, said all journalists should become AI literate within the next one to three years, reflecting the view that generative AI will soon be integral to competitive news production.
Significant barriers remain. Most respondents cited time and budget constraints as the main reasons training has not been prioritised. Ethical and legal concerns were identified as the biggest risk by 74% of participants, with worries centred on potential damage to journalistic standards, audience trust, and the credibility of reporting.
Alongside these concerns, respondents stressed the continued importance of core journalistic values. A large majority, 83%, said traditional skills such as ethical judgement and editorial decision making will become even more critical as AI use expands. Human oversight was widely seen as essential for managing risks including inaccuracies, bias, and loss of originality.
The study also points to new technical competencies that journalists are expected to develop. Digital verification and fact checking were ranked as the most important emerging skills, followed by prompt engineering to improve interactions with AI systems. These findings suggest the rise of a hybrid journalist who combines conventional reporting skills with technological fluency.
The report comes at a time when AI tools, particularly automated transcription, have become commonplace in newsrooms, allowing reporters to spend more time on analysis and storytelling. However, without formal training, many journalists are learning through trial and error, which may expose organisations to avoidable risks.
While some larger media organisations have begun introducing internal guidelines for responsible AI use, the report notes that smaller outlets and freelancers often lack access to similar resources. It calls for greater investment in training and clearer ethical frameworks to ensure the benefits of AI can be realised without undermining public trust.
As generative AI continues to evolve, the findings suggest that closing the training gap will be critical for maintaining quality, credibility, and professional standards in journalism.
