AI Policy

Artificial Intelligence Policy for The Washington Times

Purpose

At The Washington Times, we recognize that artificial intelligence has become an integral tool in modern journalism. As we expand our use of AI technology in the newsroom, we want to be transparent with you, our valued readers, about how and why we're using these tools to serve you better.

After careful consideration and planning, we have evolved our approach to AI. 

We believe that when used responsibly and with rigorous human oversight, AI enables us to deliver more comprehensive coverage, faster reporting on breaking news, and enhanced multimedia content, all while maintaining the journalistic standards and ethical principles that have defined The Washington Times for decades.

Policy

This policy applies to all employees of The Washington Times and to all work associated with The Washington Times that those employees perform, whether on or off company premises. Employees wishing to use generative AI should discuss the parameters of their use with their direct supervisor and/or department head. Managers may verbally or in writing approve, deny or modify those parameters as best meets company needs and policy, legal requirements or other business needs.

Employees must use generative AI in accordance with all Washington Times conduct and anti-discrimination policies. These technologies must not be used to create content that is inappropriate, discriminatory or otherwise harmful to others or the company. Such use will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The Washington Times Computer Use, Confidentiality and Ethics Policy and any relevant monitoring policies still apply when using generative AI chatbots with company equipment.

The Washington Times is an “At Will” employer which means that All Washington Times employees, vendors, customer or contractor/visitor who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination without further notice or warning.

Our commitment to you remains unchanged: Every article we publish, regardless of how it is created, is reviewed, edited, and approved by our experienced editorial team. Human judgment and accountability stand at the center of everything we do.

Core Principles

1. Human Oversight and Accountability: All published reports, whether written entirely by journalists, created with AI assistance, or generated by AI and edited by our team, undergoes rigorous review and approval by our experienced editors and newsroom leadership. Final editorial decisions rest with humans, not algorithms.
2. Transparency and Disclosure: We clearly disclose when AI has been used in content creation, including articles, multimedia elements, and other editorial materials. Our readers deserve to know how their news is produced.
3. Accuracy and Verification: Content created with AI assistance must meet the same exacting standards of accuracy, fact-checking, and verification as all Washington Times journalism. AI is a tool, not a replacement for rigorous journalistic practices.
4. Editorial Integrity: AI will be used in ways that enhance our journalism and serve our readers' interests, never to deceive, manipulate, or compromise our editorial independence and values.
5. Privacy and Data Protection: We safeguard the privacy of our sources, staff, and readers when implementing AI technologies, ensuring compliance with all applicable data protection regulations.
6. Continuous Evaluation: We regularly assess our AI tools and practices to ensure they align with evolving journalistic standards and serve our readers' needs.

The Value of AI in Our Journalism

We have thoughtfully integrated AI into our newsroom to:

1. Expand Coverage: Produce more comprehensive reporting on topics that matter to you, including data-driven stories and analysis that would be difficult to create manually
2. Accelerate Reporting: Deliver breaking news and updates more quickly without sacrificing accuracy
3. Enhance Multimedia Content: Create more engaging, informative visual elements, graphics, and multimedia presentations
4. Improve Accessibility: Better serve diverse audiences through enhanced translation, summarization, and content formatting
5. Strengthen Analysis: Process and analyze large datasets to uncover trends and insights that inform our reporting

Approved Uses of AI in Journalism

Content Creation and Enhancement

1. AI-Generated Articles with Editorial Oversight: AI may be used to draft articles, reports, and other editorial content. All such content must be thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked, edited, and approved by our editorial team before publication. This content will be clearly labeled as AI-assisted.
2. Content Summarization: AI may generate summaries of long-form articles, reports, or documents, subject to editorial review and approval.
3. AI-Suggested Edits: AI tools may suggest revisions, improvements, or edits to content. All suggested edits require review and explicit approval by human editors before implementation.
4. Headline and Social Media Content: AI may generate headlines, subheadings, and social media copy, all subject to editorial approval.

Research and Analysis

1. Research and Data Analysis: AI tools may analyze large datasets, identify patterns, and assist in investigative journalism and data-driven reporting.
2. Fact-Checking Assistance: AI tools may support our fact-checking processes using a multi-platform approach that cross-references information across different AI systems and traditional verification methods. We do not rely on a single AI platform for fact-checking, and human verification remains mandatory for all factual claims.
3. Source and Information Discovery: AI may help identify relevant sources, background information, and story angles.

Multimedia and Production

1. Multimedia Content Creation: AI may be used to create or enhance graphics, data visualizations, audio elements, and other multimedia components that make our reporting more informative and accessible, always with appropriate disclosure.
2. Audio and Video Production: AI tools may assist in editing, transcription, captioning, and production of audio and video content.

Operational Support

1. Language Translation: AI translation tools may support multilingual reporting and audience reach, with human verification.
2. Transcription Services: AI may transcribe interviews and audio content, subject to human review for accuracy.
3. Content Optimization: AI may help optimize content for different platforms and audiences while maintaining editorial standards.

Prohibited Uses of AI in Journalism

1. Fabrication: AI will never be used to create fictional sources, fabricate quotes, invent facts, or generate misleading information.
2. Deceptive Image or Video Manipulation: We prohibit the use of AI to create or alter images, videos, or audio in ways that deceive our audience about factual events. Any AI-enhanced multimedia content will be clearly labeled.
3. Autonomous Publishing: No AI-generated content will be published without thorough human review, editing, and explicit approval by our editorial team. Very simple, there will be absolutely no autonomous publishing on The Washington Times.
4. Bypassing Editorial Judgment: AI will not make final editorial decisions about newsworthiness, story angles, or content selection. These decisions remain with our journalists and editors.
5. Privacy Violations: AI will not be used in ways that compromise source confidentiality or violate privacy rights.
6. Plagiarism or Copyright Infringement: AI tools must respect intellectual property rights and will not be used to reproduce protected content without proper authorization.

Transparency and Disclosure

1. Clear Labeling: Content created with significant AI assistance will include clear, prominent disclosure labels (e.g., "This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed by Washington Times editors").
2. AI Policy Accessibility: Our complete AI use policy is readily available on our website and will be updated as our practices evolve.
3. Regular Updates: We will inform our audience when we adopt new AI tools or techniques that materially affect our content creation.
4. Reader Feedback: We welcome and encourage reader questions and feedback about our AI use through designated channels.

Training and Professional Development

1. Comprehensive AI Training: All journalists, editors, and relevant staff receive ongoing training on:
   • Ethical AI use in journalism
   • Proper oversight and editing of AI-generated content
   • Fact-checking and verification of AI outputs
   • Disclosure requirements and best practices
2. Continuous Learning: We foster a culture of knowledge-sharing about AI capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations.
3. Best Practices Development: Our team actively contributes to industry discussions on responsible AI use in journalism.

Governance and Oversight

AI News Desk

The Washington Times has established a dedicated AI News Desk team composed of experienced writers and editors who are specifically tasked with the responsible oversight of AI-assisted journalism. This specialized team is responsible for:

1. Story Selection: Thoughtfully determining which reports and content are appropriate for AI drafting or AI assistance
2. Technology Management: Overseeing the use, management, production, and execution of AI technology in the newsroom
3. Quality Control: Ensuring all AI-generated or AI-assisted content meets our editorial standards
4. Manual Review and Approval: Reviewing, editing, and manually approving every article before publication
5. Process Refinement: Continuously evaluating and improving our AI integration practices

All content published under AI News Desk bylines has been manually reviewed and approved by a member of this specialized team. No AI-generated content is published automatically; human editorial judgment and approval is required at every stage.

Additional Oversight

1. AI Ethics Committee: Our AI Ethics Newsroom Committee oversees implementation of this policy, addresses emerging ethical concerns, and ensures compliance with our standards.
2. Regular Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed and updated at least annually, or more frequently as AI technology and journalistic practices evolve.
3. Accountability Mechanisms: Clear chains of responsibility ensure that human editors are accountable for all published content, regardless of how it was created.
4. Quality Assurance: We maintain robust quality control processes to ensure AI-assisted content meets our editorial standards.

Our Promise to You

As we expand our use of artificial intelligence in 2026, our fundamental commitment remains the same: to deliver accurate, ethical, and trustworthy journalism that serves your needs and respects your intelligence.

AI is a tool that enhances our capabilities. It does not replace the judgment, experience, and accountability of our journalists and editors. Every story, every headline, every piece of content bearing The Washington Times name has been reviewed and approved by our editorial team. We take full responsibility for everything we publish.

We believe this evolution positions us to serve you better: with more comprehensive coverage, faster reporting on the stories that matter, and richer multimedia experiences that inform and educate. We do not take lightly the trust you place in us, and we are committed to earning that trust every day through transparency, accuracy, and unwavering adherence to journalistic ethics.

We welcome your questions, feedback, and continued engagement as we navigate this exciting chapter in journalism together.

For questions about our AI policy or to provide feedback, please contact the The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.

Last Updated: January 2026