The Alliance for Audited Media proudly sponsored the 2024 LMA Digital Innovation Awards, celebrating the best in local digital media. This year, an exciting new category was introduced: Most Innovative Use of AI in a News Organization, highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism.

Taking top honors in the ‘Under 250,000 Monthly Page Views’ division was Bay City News Foundation. Their ambitious use of AI during the 2024 elections enabled real-time reporting across 13 Northern California counties, demonstrating how automation can streamline complex, time-sensitive coverage. By leveraging AI to handle rapid vote counts, Bay City News freed its journalists to focus on delivering meaningful insights. In a commitment to transparency, the organization also published a detailed explainer about its AI practices on its website.

In the ‘Over 250,000 Monthly Page Views’ division, NewsBreak earned first place for its innovative use of AI to support communities during the Southern California wildfires. News Break built a live, interactive map of fire perimeters and aggregated real-time updates from diverse regional media outlets — helping residents access critical information when they needed it most.

Second Place: Rust Communications

For its bold and comprehensive approach to artificial intelligence, Rust Communications earned second place in the Most Innovative Use of AI in a News Organization category. In partnership with PubGen.ai, the company launched a sweeping “journalism business in a box” initiative, piloted in more than 50 small and rural markets. Southeast Missourian served as a key testing ground, where AI tools were integrated across editorial workflows, content quality controls and audience engagement strategies. From AI-assisted headline optimization to automated newsletter personalization and real-time analytics, Rust’s newsroom saw a projected 40% drop in manual tasks — freeing reporters to spend 30% more time on original reporting. Judges praised the initiative as a clear example of how AI can strengthen local journalism while preserving its core mission.

“We’re proud to sponsor this category and support forward-thinking media organizations that are shaping the future of journalism with integrity and creativity. Through their winning entries, Bay City News Foundation and NewsBreak demonstrate how technology can be harnessed to serve communities with timely, accurate information while increasing newsroom efficiencies,” said Alliance for Audited Media Vice President of Client Development Kevin Rehberg.

Editor’s note: Artificial Intelligence was used to transcribe and create an initial summary of this article, which was then edited by LMA staff.