Washington Post Planning to Bring in ‘Nonprofessional Writers’ Coached by an AI Editor With a ‘Story Strength Tracker’
AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke
The Washington Post is working on plans to get content from alternative sources like Substack contributors and “nonprofessional writers” aided by an AI editor and writing coach, reported The New York Times’ media reporter Ben Mullin.
The new content strategy comes after months of turmoil at the Post as staffers have bristled at efforts by owner Jeff Bezos and publisher and CEO Will Lewis to cut costs, increase revenue, and adopt a more right-leaning, MAGA-friendly tone, including directing the paper to forgo an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris last fall and a February staff-wide email from Bezos announcing a “new direction” for the Opinion Section.
According to Mullin’s report Tuesday afternoon, the program has been internally named “Ripple” and the research and development for it started over a year ago. It seeks to “sharply expand” the Post’s lineup of columnists in an effort to “appeal to readers who want more breadth than The Post’s current opinion section and more quality than social platforms like Reddit and X.”
This would entail adding opinion pieces from other newspapers around the country, popular Substack writers, “and eventually nonprofessional writers,” reported Mullin, to be posted on the Post’s website and app, separate and distinct from the paper’s opinion section and outside the Post’s paywall.
The sources who shared information about Ripple with Mullin said that the Post is hoping to enter into partnership deals with contributors over the summer, and then expand to testing “nonprofessional writers” aided by an AI-powered editor in the fall:
Ember, the A.I. writing coach being developed by The Post, could automate several functions normally provided by human editors, the people said. Early mock-ups of the tool feature a “story strength” tracker that tells writers how their piece is shaping up, with a sidebar that lays out basic parts of story structure: “early thesis,” “supporting points” and “memorable ending.” A live A.I. assistant would provide developmental questions, with writing prompts inviting authors to add “solid supporting points,” one of the people said.
Undoubtedly highly aware of embarrassing public stumbles by media outlets relying on AI, the Post’s plans do include human editors to conduct a final review before publication.
Mullin also reported on discussions at the Post about entering into partnerships for content, but noted there had been some hiccups.
The “potential partners” under consideration included The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, whose publisher Andrew Morse shot down the idea, telling the Times that it would not fit with his paper’s strategy.
Also originally on the list but now removed was The Contrarian, an online publication co-founded by former Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, who very loudly burned the bridge on her way out the door in a scathing column eviscerating Bezos for having “bent the knee” to President Donald Trump.
The fact that her site was ever even on the Post’s list greatly amused Rubin; Mullin reported that she “burst out in laughter” when he mentioned it to her.
