The Latest: Publishers block ChatGPT; Return-to-office push; COVID at #ONA23; How librarians can help your reporting

Learn how journalists can tap public and academic libraries to find and use government documents, academic research, archives, and other resources that are free via libraries, but not easily accessible on the open web. Whether it’s uncovering a new information source or helping to fact-check your work, librarians and libraries are a goldmine for accessing information – and much faster than you may think.

Join us to learn from April Hines, journalism and mass communications librarian for the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. Her research areas include information literacy instruction for journalists, library marketing and outreach, and social media engagement.

Registration is open for this free virtual program, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET over Zoom.

Participants will learn:

The types of information resources available in public libraries
How to tap into the expertise of subject matter experts in academic libraries
How to request help from librarians, especially when you’re on a deadline
The wealth of story ideas that can originate from library resources

AP style tip: Generative AI

"Humans can interact with generative AI models in a seemingly natural way but the models aren’t reliably capable of distinguishing between facts and falsehoods or fantasy. Generative AI systems are often powered by large language models. They sometimes generate inaccurate or fabricated responses to queries, an effect AI scientists call hallucination. If using the term hallucination, describe it as an issue associated with the technology that produces falsehoods or inaccurate or illogical information . Some in the field prefer the term confabulation or simpler terms to describe the inaccuracies that don’t draw comparisons with human mental illness."

-- AP Stylebook, artificial intelligence chapter

To improve productivity, try rearranging your meeting schedule

“What impacts knowledge workers’ energy is not the sheer amount of time they spend in meetings, but the relative proportion of meeting time compared to what they spend on individual tasks. We found that, on a given day, the more time knowledge workers dedicate to meetings relative to their own individual tasks, the less they engage in small break activities (e.g., a short walk, casual conversations, brief fun reading) to restore their energy during that day. The absence of such break activities, which are crucial for periodic replenishment, harms their workday energy . The impaired energy in turn has a negative impact on the knowledge workers’ task performance, creativity, and job satisfaction at work.”

-- Harvard Business Review, “Arrange your meeting schedule to boost your energy”

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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco and Holly Butcher Grant. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.