JournalismAI Strategy Lab

Central Eastern Europe

FREE | 5 Weeks | Virtual |‍ ‍APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

AI with purpose and editorial clarity

The JournalismAI Strategy Lab, previously the JournalismAI Academy, is a free, five-week online programme for journalists and media professionals who want to move beyond experimenting with AI tools and start making informed, deliberate decisions about how AI fits into their journalism and their newsroom.

The programme is designed by the JournalismAI team at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and supported by the Google News Initiative.

When the Academy launched in 2021, the priority was helping newsrooms understand what AI was and what it could do. That work mattered. But the landscape has changed. AI tools are now part of daily working life for journalists across the industry, and the questions have shifted: not whether to use AI, but how to use it well, with clarity, purpose, and editorial judgment. The programme has evolved to reflect that shift. The Strategy Lab is built to address the questions that matter most today.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

We are excited to launch our first regional edition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We have received strong interest from newsrooms across the region, and we are committed to making this a programme that reflects the realities, pressures, and opportunities that CEE journalists and media professionals face.

Each edition brings together a cohort of up to 20 participants from a specific region, creating a focused space for peer learning, shared challenges, and practical work. The programme combines expert-led masterclasses with hands-on workshops and structured peer discussion, all grounded in the realities that participants bring from their own newsrooms.

The Strategy Lab does not assume technical knowledge. It does not require coding experience. It asks participants to come with curiosity, an openness to challenging their assumptions, and a commitment to take what they learn back to their organisations.

Each edition is shaped by the context of the region it serves.

Timeline

How The Programme Works

The Strategy Lab runs for over five weeks from 6 July to 7 August 2026.

The programme includes two sessions per week. Participants are expected to dedicate 5 hours per week to the programme:

  • Live presentations on Tuesday (2 hours)

  • Live workshops on Thursday (2 hours)

  • Assignment to complete individually before the following meeting (~60 minutes)

The programme also includes an introductory week and a closing session, which take place on separate days across the five weeks.

The Five Modules

Each module is designed for participants who may be new to AI, or who have started experimenting but want to think more clearly about what they are doing and why. The learning is cumulative; each week adds a layer, and by the end, participants are equipped to view their own newsroom with fresh eyes and a clearer sense of next steps.

  • The starting point is not tools; it is understanding. This module covers what machine learning, large language models, and neural networks actually are; how they produce their outputs; and where their limitations lie. We look at how AI is currently used in journalism: what has worked, what has not, and the questions newsrooms are still working through. The aim is a grounded, honest picture of the landscape.

    Module instructor: Sergei Yakupov, Founder, AI for Newsroom

  • AI is only as useful as the workflow it sits inside. This module covers how to evaluate a tool before adoption, the data AI applications rely on, and the practical questions of integrating AI into editorial workflows. We cover the difference between general-purpose tools and purpose-built newsroom solutions, and how to assess which approach suits a given organisation.

    Module instructor: Mirko Lorenz, Innovation Manager, Deutsche Welle, and Co-founder of Datawrapper

  • GenerativeAI is already part of many newsroom workflows. This module looks at strategic opportunities for innovation in journalism across the news value chain and where overreliance creates risk. Participants work directly with the tools, critically evaluating outputs and knowing when generative AI belongs in a workflow and when it does not.

    Module instructor: Ole Reißmann, Director of AI, SPIEGEL-Gruppe

  • Using AI without clear governance is both a reputational and an editorial risk. This module covers the main risks AI adoption brings to newsrooms: bias in tools and datasets, AI-generated disinformation and synthetic media, audience trust, and the consequences of moving without internal alignment. We look at what responsible AI use looks like in practice and how newsrooms are approaching editorial policies.

    Module instructor: Branislava Lovre, Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief, AImpactful

  • This module is all about turning ideas into action. Participants work through a structured process to develop concrete proposals for AI applications in their newsroom, projects, workflows, or policies. They also have the chance to create simple prototypes or demonstrations of their concepts, giving a tangible sense of how their ideas could work in practice. By the end, participants leave with practical next steps they can start immediately and a cohort of peers to continue learning with beyond the programme.

    Module instructor: TBC

What You Will Get

Participants leave the Strategy Lab with more than a certificate. By the end of the five weeks, you will have:

  • A grounded understanding of AI in journalism - what it is, what it can do, and where its limits lie

  • Hands-on experience evaluating and working with AI tools in a structured environment

  • A concrete action plan or project proposal to take back to your newsroom

  • A network of peers from your region and beyond, working through the same challenges

Who Is It For?

Journalists and media professionals from newsrooms in Central and Eastern Europe

Each edition of the Strategy Lab is open to journalists and media professionals working in newsrooms in the region served by that edition. Fluency in English is required. Each cohort is limited to 20 participants.

We give priority to candidates who are in a position to take what they learn back to their organisation, whether as editors, senior journalists, product leads, or founders of small independent outlets. We welcome applications from all career stages, roles, and newsroom sizes.

No coding or technical background is required.

The Strategy Lab is NOT for:

  • Freelancers, you must be employed by or formally affiliated with a news organisation

  • Journalists who are not fluent in English

  • Journalists based outside of Central and Eastern Europe

How do I apply?

☑️ Applications are submitted via the application form.

The application includes questions about your background, your newsroom, and the work you hope to undertake during the programme.

☑️ This is a template for the letter of intent; you are welcome to use it or adapt it.

To submit your application, you will need to upload a letter of organisational commitment from your employer.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

FAQs

  • You must be employed by or formally affiliated with a news organisation in the region served by this edition. Freelancers are not eligible. Fluency in English is required. No technical background or coding experience is needed.

    Priority is given to candidates who are in a position to bring what they learn back into their organisation and influence how it approaches AI. This may mean an editor, senior journalist, product lead, or news manager, but we welcome applications from all roles.

  • The programme runs over five weeks and requires approximately five hours per week. This includes:

    • Tuesday: live masterclass (2 hours)

    • Thursday: live workshop (2 hours)

    • Weekly individual assignment (~60 minutes)

    Participation in all sessions is mandatory. If selected, you will be asked to sign a personal commitment letter. You will also need to provide a letter of commitment from your organisation at the application stage.

  • Participants leave the JournalismAI Strategy Lab with more than a certificate. By the end of the five weeks, you will have:

    • A grounded understanding of AI in journalism - what it is, what it can do, and where its limits lie

    • Hands-on experience evaluating and working with AI tools in a structured environment

    • A concrete action plan or project proposal to take back to your newsroom

    • A network of peers from your region and beyond, working through the same challenges

  • The JournalismAI Discovery Lab is a self-paced introductory programme, a good starting point if you are new to the topic. The JournalismAI Skills Lab is a 12-week technical programme for journalists who want to build AI tools and have some coding experience. The Strategy Lab sits between the two: designed for practitioners with some familiarity with AI in journalism who want to go deeper, without requiring a technical background.

  • Thanks to support from the Google News Initiative, the programme is free for selected participants.

  • For questions about the Strategy Lab, contact our Programme Manager, Lwazi Maseko, at lwazi@journalismai.info

Testimonials

(from previous JournalismAI Academy cohorts)

Ochola Odonga Dominic, Editor, Parliament Watch, Uganda, (Sub-Saharan Africa 2025 participant)

❝ The JournalismAI Academy is a unique space where journalists gain practical AI skills, share experiences, and build networks that will shape the future of news. ❞

Mayté Ciriaco Ruiz, Deputy Head of ECData (Data Journalism Unit), El Comercio, Perú (LATAM 2025 participant)

❝ The Academy gave me not only technical tools but also the editorial confidence to lead processes that previously seemed out of reach.❞

Iman Abdurrahman, Program Coordinator, Mata Iklim, Indonesia (Asia-Pacific 2025/26 participant)

❝ The JournalismAI Academy was transformative for our lean newsroom. It didn't just teach us about AI tools; it provided a strategic playbook to implement them ethically. I now feel fully equipped to leverage AI to translate complex climate data into engaging content for our Gen Z audience, freeing up our team to focus on impactful storytelling. ❞

The JournalismAI Strategy Lab, is organised by the JournalismAI team at Polis – the journalism think-tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and it is  supported by the Google News Initiative.