{"id":126281,"date":"2026-06-02T10:59:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T17:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2026\/06\/02\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T10:59:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T17:59:57","slug":"usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2026\/06\/02\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\/","title":{"rendered":"USA TODAY brings AI into real newsroom workflows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In journalism, trust isn\u2019t a tagline \u2014 it\u2019s the job. And when the work moves at speed, the difference between what\u2019s possible and what gets done often comes down to one thing: time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"USA TODAY brings AI into real newsroom workflows\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/LtB1wPIzbkQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of chasing \u201cAI everywhere,\u201d newsroom teams at USA TODAY focused on a practical goal: using AI with intentionality to remove friction from one of investigative reporting\u2019s most essential workflows \u2014 public records requests \u2014 without compromising editorial integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-bottleneck-hiding-in-plain-sight-records-requests\">The bottleneck hiding in plain sight: records requests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public records requests (FOIA at the federal level, plus state records requests) are a cornerstone of investigative journalism. But they\u2019re also easy to delay when the day is already full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/USA-TODAY_graphic_01-1-scaled.webp\" alt=\"An image of the Freedom of Information Request, USA law, 5 U.S.C 552\" class=\"wp-image-70281\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Thomas Elia, a newsroom leader at The Palm Beach Post, put it: these requests \u201ctake time to compose,\u201d must be \u201ccarefully written,\u201d and routed to the right agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drafting a request could mean \u201cspending an hour drafting out a legal letter\u201d. That\u2019s time that could have gone to reporting, interviews, and the human details that make a story stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-shift-a-virtual-colleague-inside-the-tools-journalists-already-use\">The shift: a \u201cvirtual colleague\u201d inside the tools journalists already use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team didn\u2019t reinvent the newsroom. They built an assistive experience that fits where journalists already work\u2014<strong>Teams and Outlook<\/strong>\u2014so there\u2019s no tool-switch tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How it works (in plain terms)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a high level, the agent supports a workflow journalists already know&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;while compressing the slow parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">A journalist starts with the story question that needs proof<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">The agent helps shape it into a usable request<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">It helps route it correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>The journalist reviews, edits, and sends \u2014 accountability stays human<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s the point: AI handles the <strong>mechanics<\/strong>. Journalists keep the <strong>judgment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/USA-TODAY_graphic_02-1024x438.webp\" alt=\"USA Today journalists use AI to better serve their communities\" class=\"wp-image-70282\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-they-built-it-familiar-on-the-surface-deliberate-underneath\">How they built it: familiar on the surface, deliberate underneath<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the USA TODAY Network side, Stephen Harding, Senior Product Manager, highlighted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365-copilot\">Microsoft 365 Copilot\u2019s <\/a>advantage: integration with the Microsoft tools teams already rely on \u2014 and the ability to point the agent to internal knowledge sources (including sensitive files in SharePoint and OneDrive).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the Newsquest side, Calum Banister, AI Agent Orchestrator, described how integrations and flexible knowledge sources helped them \u201cbreak apart a workflow to its base components,\u201d and \u2014 coming from a low-code background \u2014 pick it up quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-litmus-test-front-pages-and-what-happens-after-the-headline\">The litmus test: front pages \u2014 and what happens after the headline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Jody Doherty-Cove, Head of AI at Newsquest, usefulness is the only metric that matters: a tool is only real if it works. And in local journalism, <strong>front pages<\/strong> are a litmus test \u2014 an editor\u2019s decision that this is the story the community needs most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019s seen \u201c5\u20136 front page stories\u201d come from requests enabled by the agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/USA-TODAY_graphic_03_version-2-1024x438.webp\" alt=\"USA TODAY_graphic_03_version 2\" class=\"wp-image-70283\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the request is just the start. The reporting that follows: the calls, the interviews, the accountability, the human consequence, that\u2019s what turns information into meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-guardrail-that-matters-most-accountability-stays-human\">The guardrail that matters most: accountability stays human<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re building with AI, you don\u2019t just need capability, you need confidence. USA TODAY\u2019s teams were clear on the boundary: \u201cAI is a tool. It\u2019s not in charge\u2026 We\u2019re still in control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stephen described the principle behind responsible use: a <strong>human-in-the-loop<\/strong> workflow where AI assistance is reviewed \u2014 and accountability stays with the human whose name is attached to the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What every business can take from this<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re wondering what \u201cAI done right\u201d looks like in your world, start here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Begin with a human problem. <\/strong>Find the tasks that drain time and dull momentum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Build in the flow of work.<\/strong> Familiar tools reduce friction \u2014 and friction decides adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Keep people in charge. <\/strong>AI can speed the process; people own the judgment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Make trust visible.<\/strong> Human review, clear guardrails, and accountability that doesn\u2019t blur.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best AI stories aren\u2019t about models. They\u2019re about momentum: what people can do when friction disappears. For USA TODAY, that means more time reporting in communities \u2014 following leads and telling the stories that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Want to take the next step? Start here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microsoft.sharepoint.com\/teams\/MSUSCustomerAdvocacy\/Shared%20Documents\/Customer%20Stories%20Channel\/FY26%20Customer%20Evidence\/Case%20Studies%20(company%20first%20name)%20U-Z\/USA%20TODAY\/3.%20Drafts%20&amp;%20Videos\/Search%20Customer%20Success%20Stories%20|%20Microsoft%20Customer%20Stories\">Get inspired: See what great \u201cAI in the flow of work\u201d stories look like<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microsoft.sharepoint.com\/teams\/MSUSCustomerAdvocacy\/Shared%20Documents\/Customer%20Stories%20Channel\/FY26%20Customer%20Evidence\/Case%20Studies%20(company%20first%20name)%20U-Z\/USA%20TODAY\/3.%20Drafts%20&amp;%20Videos\/Microsoft%20365%20Copilot%20|%20AI%20Productivity%20Tools%20for%20Work\">Start practical: A simple on-ramp to identify one high-value workflow to improve<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microsoft.sharepoint.com\/teams\/MSUSCustomerAdvocacy\/Shared%20Documents\/Customer%20Stories%20Channel\/FY26%20Customer%20Evidence\/Case%20Studies%20(company%20first%20name)%20U-Z\/USA%20TODAY\/3.%20Drafts%20&amp;%20Videos\/Microsoft%20365%20Blog%20|%20Latest%20Product%20Updates%20and%20Insights\">Go deeper: More real-world examples of Copilot + agents in action<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In journalism, trust isn\u2019t a tagline \u2014 it\u2019s the job. And when the work moves at speed, the difference between what\u2019s possible and what gets done often comes down to one thing: time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":127810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","_classifai_text_to_speech_error":"","_innovation_original_canonical_url":"","_alt_title":"","ms-ems-related-posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2197],"content-type":[114],"industry":[],"job-function":[],"topic":[1647],"coauthors":[1109],"class_list":["post-126281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-microsoft-in-business","content-type-customer-stories","topic-ai-resources"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USA TODAY brings AI into real newsroom workflows | The Microsoft Cloud Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How newsroom teams at USA TODAY are using AI with intentionality to remove friction without compromising editorial integrity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2026\/06\/02\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USA TODAY brings AI into real newsroom workflows | The Microsoft Cloud Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How newsroom teams at USA TODAY are using AI with intentionality to remove friction without compromising editorial integrity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2026\/06\/02\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Microsoft Cloud Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-02T17:59:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/USA-TODAY_header-hero-image-1-1024x438.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"438\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@MSCloud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@MSCloud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Microsoft in Business Team\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/02\\\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/02\\\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/microsoft-in-business-team\\\/\",\"@type\":\"Person\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/microsoft-in-business-team\\\/\",\"name\":\"Microsoft in Business Team\"}],\"headline\":\"USA TODAY brings AI into real newsroom workflows\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-02T17:59:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/02\\\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":714,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/02\\\/usa-today-brings-ai-into-real-newsroom-workflows\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.microsoft.com\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/USA-TODAY_header-hero-image-1-scaled.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Microsoft in Business\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"video\":[{\"@type\":\"VideoObject\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=LtB1wPIzbkQ\",\"description\":\"In journalism, trust isn\u2019t a tagline \u2014 it\u2019s the job. 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And when the work moves at speed, the difference between what\u2019s possible and what gets done often comes down to one thing: time.\n\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LtB1wPIzbkQ\n\n\n\n\nInstead of chasing \u201cAI everywhere,\u201d newsroom teams at USA TODAY focused on a practical goal: using AI with intentionality to remove friction from one of investigative reporting\u2019s most essential workflows \u2014 public records requests \u2014 without compromising editorial integrity.\n\n\n\nThe bottleneck hiding in plain sight: records requests\n\n\n\nPublic records requests (FOIA at the federal level, plus state records requests) are a cornerstone of investigative journalism. But they\u2019re also easy to delay when the day is already full.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAs Thomas Elia, a newsroom leader at The Palm Beach Post, put it: these requests \u201ctake time to compose,\u201d must be \u201ccarefully written,\u201d and routed to the right agency.\n\n\n\nDrafting a request could mean \u201cspending an hour drafting out a legal letter\u201d. That\u2019s time that could have gone to reporting, interviews, and the human details that make a story stick.\n\n\n\nThe shift: a \u201cvirtual colleague\u201d inside the tools journalists already use\n\n\n\nThe team didn\u2019t reinvent the newsroom. They built an assistive experience that fits where journalists already work\u2014Teams and Outlook\u2014so there\u2019s no tool-switch tax.\n\n\n\nHow it works (in plain terms)\n\n\n\nAt a high level, the agent supports a workflow journalists already know&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;while compressing the slow parts:\n\n\n\n\nA journalist starts with the story question that needs proof\n\n\n\nThe agent helps shape it into a usable request\n\n\n\nIt helps route it correctly\n\n\n\nThe journalist reviews, edits, and sends \u2014 accountability stays human\n\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s the point: AI handles the mechanics. Journalists keep the judgment.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHow they built it: familiar on the surface, deliberate underneath\n\n\n\nOn the USA TODAY Network side, Stephen Harding, Senior Product Manager, highlighted Microsoft 365 Copilot\u2019s advantage: integration with the Microsoft tools teams already rely on \u2014 and the ability to point the agent to internal knowledge sources (including sensitive files in SharePoint and OneDrive).\n\n\n\nOn the Newsquest side, Calum Banister, AI Agent Orchestrator, described how integrations and flexible knowledge sources helped them \u201cbreak apart a workflow to its base components,\u201d and \u2014 coming from a low-code background \u2014 pick it up quickly.\n\n\n\nThe litmus test: front pages \u2014 and what happens after the headline\n\n\n\nFor Jody Doherty-Cove, Head of AI at Newsquest, usefulness is the only metric that matters: a tool is only real if it works. And in local journalism, front pages are a litmus test \u2014 an editor\u2019s decision that this is the story the community needs most.\n\n\n\nHe\u2019s seen \u201c5\u20136 front page stories\u201d come from requests enabled by the agent.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBut the request is just the start. The reporting that follows: the calls, the interviews, the accountability, the human consequence, that\u2019s what turns information into meaning.\n\n\n\nThe guardrail that matters most: accountability stays human\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re building with AI, you don\u2019t just need capability, you need confidence. USA TODAY\u2019s teams were clear on the boundary: \u201cAI is a tool. It\u2019s not in charge\u2026 We\u2019re still in control.\u201d\n\n\n\nStephen described the principle behind responsible use: a human-in-the-loop workflow where AI assistance is reviewed \u2014 and accountability stays with the human whose name is attached to the work.\n\n\n\nWhat every business can take from this\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re wondering what \u201cAI done right\u201d looks like in your world, start here:\n\n\n\n\nBegin with a human problem. Find the tasks that drain time and dull momentum.\n\n\n\nBuild in the flow of work. Familiar tools reduce friction \u2014 and friction decides adoption.\n\n\n\nKeep people in charge. AI can speed the process; people own the judgment.\n\n\n\nMake trust visible. Human review, clear guardrails, and accountability that doesn\u2019t blur.\n\n\n\n\nThe best AI stories aren\u2019t about models. They\u2019re about momentum: what people can do when friction disappears. 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