Editors Weblog

Synthetic media

Aug 27, 2026

AI and Fake News Detection: What Actually Works for Newsrooms

AI-assisted tools can flag suspicious content faster than any human team, but the gap between flagging and verifying remains a distinctly human problem. Here is where the technology genuinely helps and where it still falls short.

Aug 20, 2026

The First AI-Generated Image: A Short History of Synthetic Visuals

From Harold Cohen's AARON program in the 1970s to today's diffusion models, machine-generated images have a longer history than most journalists realise. Understanding that arc matters for how our newsrooms respond to synthetic media today.

Aug 18, 2026

Deepfakes in the News: Notable Examples and What Newsrooms Learned

From a fabricated Biden robocall to a fake Pentagon explosion image that moved markets, we look at the most documented deepfake incidents in recent memory and the verification lessons they carry for newsrooms.

Aug 13, 2026

How Working Editors Are Adapting to AI in 2026

From verification workflows to editorial guidelines on synthetic media, newsrooms are rebuilding their editorial culture around AI. Here is what the publicly observable shifts tell us.

Jul 28, 2026

Best AI Voice-Cloning Tools in 2026, and What They Mean for Trust

ElevenLabs, Descript, Resemble AI, and Play.ht have made voice cloning faster and cheaper than ever. We look at what these tools can do, and why every newsroom should be thinking carefully about the risks they introduce.

Jul 2, 2026

The Newsroom AI Glossary: Terms Every Editor Should Know

From deepfakes to C2PA, provenance to GPAI, here are the key AI and authenticity terms every editor needs to understand to lead their newsroom confidently.

Jun 25, 2026

What Is AI Watermarking? Invisible Signals, Explained

AI watermarking embeds hidden signals into machine-generated content to flag its origin. Here is what the technology actually does, how it differs from content credentials, and where it falls short for newsrooms.

Jun 23, 2026

How Voice Cloning Works, and How to Spot It

Voice cloning technology can replicate a person's voice from a short audio sample. Here is what newsrooms need to understand about how it works and how to detect it.

Jun 11, 2026

What Is Synthetic Media? A Field Guide for Newsrooms

Synthetic media is content created or altered by AI. Here is what the term covers, how it is made, and why it matters for newsrooms.

May 12, 2026

Synthetic Media Ethics: Where Should Newsrooms Draw the Line?

When is AI-generated content acceptable in journalism? A framework for editorial guidelines.

Mar 28, 2026

AI Watermarking Standards: C2PA, Content Credentials, and the Future of Provenance

How C2PA, Content Credentials, and digital watermarking are creating a new trust layer for media.

Mar 25, 2026

Voice Cloning and Audio Deepfakes: The Next Frontier of Media Manipulation

Voice cloning has become frighteningly accurate. Why audio deepfakes may be a bigger threat than fake video.

Mar 18, 2026

Deepfake Detection in Newsrooms: Tools and Techniques for Editors to Verify Footage

A practical guide to the tools newsrooms are using to detect manipulated video.