The United States Consulate General in Lagos ran a two-day training for journalists on applying artificial intelligence in news production, part of a push to build AI literacy as newsrooms worldwide adopt the technology. The programme, titled "AI for journalists: U.S. technologies transforming news production," covered news gathering, content production, audience engagement, and strategies for integrating AI without compromising journalistic standards.
Chris Coates, Senior Director of Local News at Lee Enterprises, led the first session on "tools, trust and the human advantage." He argued that AI replaces tasks, not journalists, and pushed back on the idea that the technology will cause job losses.
What the trainers taught
Coates demonstrated how generative AI can ingest and interrogate massive documents - thousands of pages - to extract story leads. He told journalists to ask targeted, investigative questions rather than rely on surface-level summaries. "AI is never a source," he said, and all outputs must be rigorously context-checked.
He recommended ChatGPT as being well ahead of other tools, along with Claude and others. He cautioned against depending on free versions of any tool because they cannot provide quality and accurate information like paid versions. Coates advised journalists to purchase the tools and avoid free ones that will make errors. Training matters more than tools, he said.
The second session, led by Google News Initiative Trainer for Sub-Saharan Africa Ken Kiunga, focused on hands-on use of digital tools. Participants worked with Google Gemini, Google Trends, Gems, Gemini Canvas, NotebookLM, and Deep Research. The session covered document analysis, investigative verification, and AI-powered generation for visual storytelling, video production, and graphic aids.
Kiunga outlined a specific toolkit: NotebookLM for document anchoring, Deep Research for sourcing, and visual models for multimedia engagement. The programme was organised through the Public Diplomacy Section of the US Consulate General, Lagos.
AI in marketing communications
Separately, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment Folashade Ambrose-Medebem spoke at the 12th Women in Marketing Communications Conference and Awards (WIMCA) about AI's role in reputation and communication. Her advice: "Do not compete with AI: Understand it, question it, use it. In fact, ask silly questions. In my view, there is no such thing as silly questions."
She stressed the place of judgment, empathy, intuition, imagination, and emotional intelligence. Marketing communications professionals, she said, must blend career growth with personal growth. "You shape perception, protect corporate reputation. But influence comes responsibility. You must remain teachable."
WIMCA convener Joshua Ajayi said the event theme, "Grow, give, glow: Building resilience for distinction," was about building something that can take pressure without collapsing. "Resilience, in this context isn't really about grinding your teeth and surviving another hard year, it's somewhat like architecture; building something that can take pressure without collapsing; that bends instead of snapping; and that leaves enough room for the next woman to build on top of it," he said.
Why this matters for writers
For writers and journalists, the Lagos training points to a specific workflow shift: AI handles document ingestion, transcription, and data crunching so you can spend time on reporting, ethics, and critical thinking. The trainers were clear that AI is not a source. Every output needs context-checking. If you're using free AI tools for professional work, expect errors - the paid versions of AI for Writers tools are where the accuracy improves. The practical takeaway is to treat AI as an assistant for busywork, not a replacement for your judgment.
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