ICFJ Leap Innovation Lab’s Solutions Challenge on “AI and Disinformation”

ICFJ’s goal is to identify the most pressing challenges affecting journalism and its mission to serve the public. Addressing those challenges requires creativity – and the time and support to think innovatively. That’s where ICFJ’s Leap news innovation program comes in.

Leap is a space to explore and shape the unfolding future of journalism.

They are supporting journalism innovators in several ways:

• Innovation lab – Many newsrooms don’t have the time, infrastructure, or money to invest in experimentation that may not have an immediate payoff. ICFJ’s Leap innovation lab provides a guided, focused experience to ease the risk and cost that inhibits innovation in the newsroom.
• The Leap Innovation Lab organizes:
  • Solution Challenges: A 12-week program to explore, design, and develop products and learn innovation processes.
  • Every challenge focuses on a specific theme; this year’s program focuses on “AI and Journalism: Unmasking Disinformation in the Digital Era.”

Solution Challenges

• Tackle AI & Disinformation!
• What’s in Store?
  • Collaborate with a diverse group of journalists, technologists, and product specialists.
  • Access cutting-edge tools like GPTZero’s APIs, Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative, and Google’s Claim Review.
  • Innovate solutions to detect AI-manipulated content, safeguard genuine news, champion ethical AI use in newsrooms, and fast-track fact-checking.
• Highlights
  • Dive deep into a design-thinking process with the experienced coaches.
  • Develop a minimum viable product with hands-on mentorship.
  • Pitch your game-changing idea for a chance to secure a development grant.
• The sessions are virtual. Participation requires:
  • Two 90-minutes sessions per week: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 -10:30 am ET.
  • Three half-day sessions Saturday in October for the Sprint.
  • Fluency in English.

Criteria

• They encourage small teams from the same organization to apply together so they can better implement what they create. But they also accept applications from individuals to form a group around a common goal.
• Leap is right for you if you are a journalist, technologist or product person who:
  • Can identify a journalism challenge and work to solve it with AI tools.
  • Likes to collaborate with others.
  • Wants to be a changemaker.
  • Is ready to commit at least three hours a week.
  • Is willing to share your product or outcomes with the journalistic community.

How it works?

• Explore (four weeks): Two workshops a week with experts in the field to map the landscape, identify needs and introduce new tools to address them.
• Sprint (three weeks including half-days on Saturdays): An intensive Design Thinking process to rapidly develop and test a project or a product prototype.
• Develop (four weeks):  Teams work with mentors to develop their ideas enough to integrate into their newsrooms or pitch it to a funder for further development. We will provide grants to build out the best ideas.

For more information, visit ICFJ.