> Find the Spanish version of this article on Medium

Alvaro Liuzzi is a journalist, professor, digital media consultant and author of AI in Journalism, a reference guide for the implementation of artificial intelligence in news organizations. In this article he shares how 0221, a local outlet in La Plata, Argentina, trained its journalists to build their own AI tools rather than handing them finished ones.

> 0221, a local outlet in La Plata, Argentina, trained its journalists to build their own AI tools rather than handing them finished ones. Ten emerged, including assistants for police reports and the provincial gazette

> The measure that matters is not volume. In the first quarter of 2025 the newsroom published 39 in-depth production stories against 17 a year earlier, while total output rose just 2.2%

> An internal contest, judged by a custom GPT, was won by two of the most experienced journalists on staff. Age turned out not to predict who adopts the technology

> The training deliberately taught limits as well as capabilities, and published AI policies came before the tools. Every AI-assisted output is checked by a journalist before publication

> The staff survey is refreshingly unflattering in places. Half still distrust AI outputs, 30% felt undertrained, and 10% said quality got worse, citing hallucinations

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from a futuristic promise into a practical and versatile tool for transforming the media industry. Today, news organizations face critical challenges: capturing attention in an oversaturated information landscape, retaining audience interest, and optimizing resources in an ecosystem marked by economic uncertainty.

In this context, AI emerges as a strategic solution — one that can automate workflows, personalize content, and deepen audience relationships, especially for local outlets striving to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive digital environment. However, integrating AI into a newsroom is not merely a technical task. It requires a profound cultural shift within journalistic organizations, involving thoughtful planning, experimentation, and ongoing learning. For local media, the challenge is twofold: adopting new technologies while maintaining the close-knit connection they share with their communities.

During the final quarter of 2024, I worked as an associate consultant with 0221, a digital news outlet based in La Plata, Argentina, guiding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into their newsroom workflows. The editorial team set out to explore AI as a tool to streamline operational processes, enhance journalistic creativity, and strengthen the outlet’s connection with its audience.

The primary goal was clear: to identify key areas where AI could deliver meaningful impact — from automating repetitive tasks to generating more relevant content tailored to user needs. However, the implementation process brought a variety of challenges, including team training, the adoption of custom-built tools, and the restructuring of editorial workflows to fully leverage the potential of the technology.

In my role as a consultant, I worked closely with journalists, editors, and senior leadership, supporting each phase of the process. From identifying initial opportunities to piloting solutions and carrying out final implementation, every decision was made collaboratively to ensure alignment with 0221’s editorial mission and strategic priorities.

This article outlines the actions taken, key lessons learned, and some of the early results achieved — offering a reference point for other local news organizations considering the adoption of AI. Documenting each stage is essential for replicating, adapting, and improving these initiatives in a variety of contexts.

Project Objectives

The integration of artificial intelligence at 0221 began with a strategic vision aimed at addressing some of the key challenges facing local media: maximizing efficiency in a resource-constrained environment, maintaining high editorial standards, and fostering deeper connections with the audience. This effort required not only the adoption of new technologies but also ensuring that their implementation aligned with the outlet’s identity and the expectations of its journalists.

With this framework in mind, the project’s objectives were defined based on the organization’s strategic priorities and the opportunities AI could offer. These objectives reflected a dual intention: on one hand, to streamline operational tasks and free up journalists to focus more on producing valuable content; and on the other, to leverage technology as a tool for enhancing creativity and editorial innovation.