Writing and Editing with AI

🔄 Quick Recall: In the last lesson, you learned AI-assisted fact-checking workflows. Now let’s shift from verification to creation — using AI as a writing and editing partner that makes your stories stronger without homogenizing your voice.

AI as Writing Partner, Not Ghost Writer

Let’s be clear about the line: AI helps you write better. AI doesn’t write for you. The difference matters — for your credibility, your byline, and your craft.

Using AI to generate headline options? That’s brainstorming with a fast partner. Having AI write your entire article and putting your name on it? That’s a problem most newsrooms (and readers) won’t tolerate.

The sweet spot: use AI for the mechanical parts of writing (options, structure, tightening) while you provide the substance (reporting, voice, judgment).

Headlines That Stop the Scroll

Headlines are where AI delivers immediate value. You can generate 10 options in seconds:

I've written an article about [brief description]. The key finding is [main newsworthy element].

Generate 10 headline options in different styles:
- 2 straightforward news headlines
- 2 with a number or specific detail
- 2 that pose a question
- 2 that use tension or contrast
- 2 that lead with impact (why the reader should care)

Keep all headlines under 70 characters for web display.

Don’t use any of these headlines verbatim. Instead, scan them for the strongest elements — an unexpected word choice, a sharper framing, a detail you hadn’t thought to lead with — and craft your own.

✅ Quick Check: Why generate 10 headline options instead of asking AI for “the best headline”?

Because there is no single “best” headline — it depends on your audience, platform, and editorial voice. Ten options give you a range of approaches. You might combine the specificity of option 3 with the framing of option 7. The goal isn’t to find the answer; it’s to expand the possibilities.

Leads That Pull Readers In

The lead (or lede) is the hardest paragraph to write and the most important. AI can break the blank-page problem:

My article covers [topic]. The most important facts are:
- [fact 1]
- [fact 2]
- [fact 3]

Write 4 different lead paragraphs (under 50 words each):
1. Hard news lead (who, what, when, where, why)
2. Anecdotal lead (start with a person affected)
3. Scene-setting lead (drop the reader into a moment)
4. Surprise lead (start with the most unexpected element)

Each approach frames the story differently. The hard news lead works for breaking news. The anecdotal lead works for features. The scene-setter works for investigative pieces. Having all four in front of you helps you choose the right approach for this story.

Tightening Your Prose

Every journalist knows the rule: shorter is usually better. AI is an excellent tightening tool:

Edit this paragraph for conciseness. Cut unnecessary words, combine sentences where possible, and strengthen weak verbs. Preserve the meaning and my voice.

[paste paragraph]

Show the edited version, then list every change you made and why.

The “list every change and why” instruction is critical. It lets you learn from the edits and catch any that removed important nuance. Accept the tightening edits; reject the ones that changed your meaning.

Structure and Organization

When a story feels jumbled, AI can help you see the architecture:

Here's my article draft. The structure feels off but I can't identify why.

1. Outline the current structure (what each paragraph/section does)
2. Identify any information that appears in the wrong place
3. Suggest a reordered structure with reasoning
4. Note any gaps — important points I raised but didn't develop
5. Flag any sections that could be cut without losing the story's value

This is like having a structural editor available at 2 AM on deadline. You won’t follow every suggestion, but the outline alone often reveals the problem.

Voice Preservation

The biggest risk of AI editing is voice flattening. AI tends toward generic, polished prose that reads like everyone and no one.

Protect your voice by:

Providing voice samples. Give AI 2-3 paragraphs of your published work and say: “This is my writing style. Edit to improve clarity and conciseness while preserving this voice.”

Rejecting generic substitutions. If AI replaces your distinctive phrasing with corporate-speak, revert. “The budget hemorrhaged money” is better journalism than AI’s “the budget experienced significant overspending.”

Using AI for structure, not style. Let AI help you organize, tighten, and generate options. Do the actual writing in your own voice.

Deadline Writing Techniques

When you’re against the clock:

The dump-and-organize method: Type everything you know into the document — messy, unstructured, stream of consciousness. Then ask AI to identify the key points and suggest a structure. You reorganize and rewrite, but AI saved you the hardest part: figuring out what goes where.

The quote-first method: Paste your best quotes and ask AI to suggest which quote should lead, which supports each section, and where the narrative gaps are. Build the story around the strongest quotes.

The section-by-section method: Write one section at a time. After each section, ask AI: “What’s missing? What questions would a reader have at this point?” Fill the gaps before moving on.

Exercise: Edit with AI

Take a piece of your own writing (a draft in progress or a published piece):

1. Generate 10 headline options using the prompt above
2. Write down which elements from the AI suggestions are strongest
3. Craft your final headline combining the best elements
4. Feed one paragraph to AI for tightening — review every change
5. Accept or reject each edit individually, noting why

Key Takeaways

• AI is a writing partner, not a ghost writer — use it for options, structure, and tightening while you provide substance and voice
• Generate multiple headline options to expand possibilities rather than asking for “the best” one
• Different lead styles (hard news, anecdotal, scene-setting, surprise) frame stories differently — AI can generate all four quickly
• Always review AI edits individually: accept tightening, reject voice-flattening or meaning changes
• Protect your voice by providing style samples and rejecting generic substitutions
• Deadline techniques (dump-and-organize, quote-first, section-by-section) use AI to accelerate without replacing your reporting

Up Next: In the next lesson, you’ll learn data journalism with AI — turning datasets into stories through analysis, pattern detection, and visualization.