AI Assisted Reporter

NEWSQUEST MEDIA GROUP; Eastleigh; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional news publisher in Eastleigh is seeking an AI Assisted Reporter. This role combines traditional journalism with AI to create local news content. Candidates should have strong writing skills and a journalistic background, with opportunities for growth and development in a supportive team environment. Benefits include a competitive salary, 25 days of holiday, and additional perks such as gym membership and mental health support.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday + bank holidays + birthday off

Holiday buy scheme

Structured career progression

Pension plan

Mental health support

Gym membership

Cycle to Work scheme

Eye care vouchers (£50 towards glasses)

Retail discounts

Team building days

Volunteer charity day

Qualifications

• Experience using AI tools for journalism is a plus.
• Ability to identify engaging stories for a digital audience.
• Knowledge of relevant media laws and the Editors’ Code of Conduct.

Responsibilities

• Work with AI to write news articles while ensuring quality.
• Ensure all content meets legal and ethical standards.
• Source stories to build a refined news list.

Skills

Writing and editing skills

Journalistic principles understanding

Attention to detail

Ability to analyze data

Education

NCTJ diploma or equivalent

Job description

AI Assisted Reporter

Application Deadline: 3 December 2025

Department: Editorial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Southampton

Reporting To: Benjamin Fishwick

Description

The Southern Daily Echo is seeking an AI-assisted reporter to join our team and help us expand our coverage of Hampshire by delivering even more first-class digital news, driving audience growth. The successful candidate will be at the forefront of a new era in journalism, utilising AI technology to help create local and hyper-local content for the newspaper and website while also applying their traditional journalism skills, news sense and working as part of the team at the Southampton office .

This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about journalism and the potential for AI to contribute to the way we produce and consume news, without losing sight of the importance of quality reporting and writing. This is a proactive role that requires a keen news sense and an innate understanding of what makes a strong story and what audiences want to read across a whole range of platforms.

As an AI-assisted reporter, you will have the opportunity to develop your news and technical skills, including learning how to manage and utilise AI technology effectively while employing your core journalistic skills to the sourcing, selection, angle and presentation of your digital content. A whole host of audience and content analytics will aid you in refining and perfecting your content to meet the needs of audiences and drive growth.

You’ll play a key role in ensuring that our articles meet the highest standards of accuracy, information, and compliance with media law, plagiarism, and privacy, utilising your journalistic expertise alongside AI tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with an AI system to help write news articles, while also utilising your journalism skills to maintain the quality and authenticity of the content
• Ensure that all content produced meets legal and ethical standards, including those related to media law, plagiarism, privacy, and accuracy
• Source stories and ideas from a range of online sources, proactively building and refining a news list of high-quality, engaging digital content
• Identify and deliver areas to expand our coverage into, as well as the topics and story types that will resonate
• Efficiently upload and manage stories, using time-saving AI tools and techniques to ensure a seamless process without compromising the quality of the content
• Contribute to the development of AI technology by monitoring the output of AI-generated content and identifying areas for improvement
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices related to AI and journalism
• Meet page view targets

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• NCTJ diploma or equivalent
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with strong attention to detail
• The ability to recognise the stories that resonate with our readers is crucial to this role
• A strong understanding of journalistic principles and practices
• Excellent working knowledge of relevant media law and adherence to the Editors’ Code of Conduct are vital to fulfilling the functions of the role
• Creativity and innovation, with a willingness to experiment with new approaches and techniques
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Ability to analyse data and generate insights to inform content decisions

Job Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
• Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
• Structured career progression & ongoing training
• Pension plan & mental health support
• Perks & discounts including:
  • Gym membership
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Eye care vouchers (£50 towards glasses)
  • Retail discounts
• Team building days & annual volunteer charity day

About Newsquest Media Group

We are a media company with a difference. We are committed to bringing a voice to your region by investing in a passionate team of journalists who proudly serve their communities by sharing authoritative news that readers trust. Our sales teams provide local businesses with highly responsive digital advertising and marketing solutions.

We are one of the largest regional news publishers in the UK and have a portfolio of more than 250+ local news brands and magazines online and in print. With an online audience of 41 million users a month and 7 million readers a week in print, our content is read by a substantial proportion of the UK population.

In addition to our local news brands, we own several digital pure play and specialist media businesses such as s1jobs and s1homes, Exchange & Mart, and Newsquest Specialist Media. We also own LOCALiQ, an award-winning digital marketing agency that specialises in driving more leads, increasing online growth and generating return on marketing investment on behalf of thousands of UK SMBs.