AI in Cameroonian Newsrooms: Exploring Daily Use and Challenges Among Journalists in Four Regions

Abstract

This study examines the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by journalists working for legacy media outlets in four of Cameroon’s 10 geopolitical regions. It builds on the premise that journalism practice is continually changing due to the advent of emerging technology. The article analyses semi-structured interviews with 12 Cameroonian mainstream media practitioners working for public and private print- and broadcast-media outlets. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Venkatesh et al., 2003) serves as the theoretical lens through which the actions of the research participants are analyzed. Findings reveal that some journalists use AI throughout all stages of their work, from conception, planning, collection, writing, and editing. The extent of use depends on the individual reporter’s ability to leverage the tools. The attempt to take full advantage of AI tools is met with significant challenges, such as the absence of appropriate newsroom policies, resource limitations, the absence of context-relevant data, and insufficient knowledge among newsroom managers. The study emphasizes that the adoption of technology in newsrooms cannot be separated from the socio-economic context in which media operate.