Tool zoekt gebruiker(s)
Young adults don’t like reading the news? Don’t think so! They do want them to be inspiring, include multiple perspectives and be relevant for their lives, as research has shown. As part of the project Tool zoekt gebruiker(s), Beeld&Geluid investigates how GenAI can play a role in translating those needs into journalistic practice
Young adults don’t like reading the news? Don’t think so! They do want them to be inspiring, include multiple perspectives and be relevant for their lives, as research has shown. As part of the project Tool zoekt gebruiker(s), Beeld&Geluid investigates how GenAI can play a role in translating those needs into journalistic practice
Yutong Liu & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The use of Generative AI in the work of journalists is being negotiated every day in editorial rooms - what tools fit their workflow? How do they make it transparent to readers what GenAI was used for? What are the ethics behind using models powered by Big Tech?
However, most journalistic GenAI applications are developed primarily based on practical and technological considerations, without systematically taking the public's perspective into account. Tool zoekt gebruiker(s) asks how the public and especially young adults can be heard in the discussion around GenAI developments.
The research relies on participatory design methods, inviting young adults aged 18-24 to think alongside journalists. Over the course of seven design workshops, hosted at DPG Media and RTV Oost, participants will develop speculative prototypes that spark debate about how journalists can use GenAI to address the needs of young adults. These workshops will explore both opportunities and risks of GenAI in journalism, with prototypes centered on young adults' needs for inspiring news, multiple perspectives, and personal relevance.
At the end of the project in September 2026, there will be a publication of concrete guidelines for journalists on how young adult’s needs can be translated into GenAI applications. The guidelines will also highlight to what extent young adults and journalists find the use of GenAI critical. The project will also create a toolkit that describes the use of speculative prototypes in detail, so that they can be used in follow-up studies. This toolkit will be available for download on the websites of all research partners.
Role Sound & Vision
Beeld & Geluid serves as a research partner in this project, collaborating with Fontys University of Applied Sciences Journalism and Windesheim Zwolle on the design and facilitation of the prototype sessions. Additionally, Beeld & Geluid co-leads the development of professional guidelines and toolkit for journalists, and will host a dissemination event in September 2026 to present the findings to journalists and researchers in the field.
Being part of Tool zoekt gebruiker(s) aligns with Beeld & Geluid’s mission - we want to make media more accessible and enable participation, especially for young people. Tool zoekt gebruiker(s) puts the needs and opinions of young adults at the centre of the research and amplifies their voices to journalists and media professionals. We further want to make space for a critical approach within media and culture, not shying away from asking complicated questions on how AI impacts our society.