Newsquest’s AI-Assisted Reporter initiative is the first of its kinds in the UK – and it’s revolutionising local journalism by freeing traditional reporters to focus on high-impact stories.

“Get outside, make contacts, and get to the heart of the story” is timeless advice for any budding local reporter. However, for Newsquest’s 600+ UK-based journalists, working across large daily and small weekly title, find it challenging to live up to this advice.

Journalists were burdened with repetitive tasks. While churning out press releases was expected by readers, it kept journalists tethered to their desks and left little time for high-impact journalism that drives page views, subscriptions, and truly serves communities.

To address this, Newsquest developed their Copy Creator, its own AI tool that drafts stories for items such as press releases, planning applications, and the community updates that readers expect. Think of it as two sheets of paper: one labelled “notes” (information from local people and businesses verified by human editors) and another labelled “story,” where the draft is formed.

Following this, they introduced the role of AI-Assisted Reporter, a team of over 30 trained journalists who refine each draft to uphold the editorial standards, local nuance, and accuracy. Every edit trains the system further, ensuring Copy Creator improves over time, and they are now producing 9,000 stories a month with a team of 30+ AI-Assisted Reporters. By delegating these tasks, traditional reporters can focus on investigative projects, high-impact coverage, and reconnecting with their communities.

Freed from churnalism, Newsquest’s traditional reporters are building strong relationships with sources and producing the exclusive content their subscribers expect. Meanwhile, AI-Assisted Reporters quickly and accurately cover everyday local news, such as new shop openings, local fundraisers, and charity events. The impact began from day one, as they remodelled onboarding to prioritise real-world experience over press release work. For example, in Oxford, new trainees complete community-based challenges to understand their area before filing stories.

While some in the industry fear AI may displace journalists, Newsquest’s approach reinforces traditional journalistic values, where not only is building genuine contacts more important than ever, but reporters are also given the time and space to investigate, get out and about, and truly explore the stories behind the headlines.

The AI-Assisted Reporter initiative has been transformative.

This renewed focus on in depth reporting and community engagement drove record metrics. In January, 53 million visitors read 190 million articles – Newsquest’s best ever month and a 5% year on year rise – while paying subscribers climbed to 113,000. This is an increase of 31% and places Newsquest among the top 50 global digital subscription publishers for the first time ever.

Daily titles experienced smaller circulation drops than those of Newsquest’s largest rival, with even their lowest performer outperforming their rival’s best.

UK editors praised the blend of AI efficiency and human oversight, ensuring streamlined workflows without compromising standards, and in 2025, they plan to expand the AI-Assisted Reporter team.

More importantly, they have demonstrated that AI can help ensure local journalism’s future – proving it can indeed be a positive force and ultimately allowing them to return to the cherished values of the past.

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