Webinar Takeaways: Fostering Context, Community and Connection in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence is changing journalism faster than many publishers expected.

For community publishers, that reality brings understandable questions. Should we use AI? How much? Will audiences trust us? How do we protect our credibility while still taking advantage of tools that can save time?

Those questions were at the center of a recent Pivot Fund convening with Indiegraf, Fostering Context, Community and Connection in the Age of AI, moderated by Pivot Fund Portfolio Manager Frances Kai-Hwa Wang. The discussion featured Laura Davis, entrepreneur in residence, AI at Indiegraf; Erica Ngao, impact manager at Indiegraf; Mark Talkington, founder and publisher of The Palm Springs Post; Martina Guzmán, founder of VERDAD; and Ashton Pittman, News Editor at Mississippi Free Press.

Together, they shared practical ways community publishers can use AI while protecting what matters most: trust, transparency and community relationships. The conversation also highlighted resources available through Indiegraf’s Tech for Journalism program to help small newsrooms navigate AI thoughtfully.

One message surfaced again and again:

The goal isn’t to replace journalists. It’s to create more time for journalism.