The AI Journalism Labs at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, supported by Microsoft, is pleased to introduce the next cohort of the program — the AI Journalism Lab: Leaders. This group of 23 journalists, strategists, executives and entrepreneurs from around the world will explore what effective leadership looks like as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in newsrooms, with a strong focus on responsible and ethical decision-making.
“The rapid integration of AI demands a new kind of leadership in journalism. We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional, global cohort of 23 leaders who will not just adopt AI, but help define the ethical and strategic frameworks for its responsible use in newsrooms worldwide. Their work will be crucial in ensuring that innovation serves the public good,” said Marie Gilot, Executive Director of J+ at the Newmark J-School.
The cohort members hail from across the globe — including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sweden, and the United States. Their professional expertise spans leading newsrooms, shaping editorial and audience strategy, building products, and integrating AI into journalism.
The Lab will run from January 14 to April 24, 2026. The program is virtual except for an in-person kick-off at the Newmark J-School in New York from January 22-23.
AI JOURNALISM LAB: LEADERSHIP COHORT
Natasha Alford
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Orange, New Jersey, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: TheGrio
Role: Senior Vice President & Chief Content Officer
Natasha S. Alford is an award-winning journalist, author, and media executive who serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Content Officer of TheGrio, where she leads editorial strategy and coverage of news, politics, culture, and entertainment. A former CNN Political Analyst, she frequently appears on TV outlets to discuss news and issues shaping society. A Teach For America alum, Natasha holds a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, where she earned a certificate in Urban Policy. She is the author of the acclaimed memoir ‘American Negra’ (HarperCollins). Passionate about innovation and equity in storytelling, Natasha is committed to ensuring ethnic media outlets are at the forefront of learning about AI as it transforms industries. She also serves as Board President of Joi’s Angels, a New Jersey nonprofit supporting families in need, and can be followed at @natashasalford.
Noel Algarín
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Country of origin: Puerto Rico
Organization: Centro de Periodismo Investigativo
Role: English Editor
Award-winning journalist and editor with more than 25 years of experience leading high-impact reporting and driving newsroom innovation across digital and print platforms. His career spans roles as reporter, columnist, editor, deputy director and podcaster in newsrooms including El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora, Univision.com, and the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. From breaking news coverage and special projects to shaping off-platform distribution and long-term editorial strategy, Noel has led teams to produce journalism that informs, connects, and delivers measurable impact. Deeply committed to digital transformation, he focuses on using technology to strengthen journalism’s reach and relevance. His current work explores how AI can be applied ethically to expand access, support translation, and streamline editorial workflows. Noel holds a degree from the University of Puerto Rico and completed the Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in 2022. Outside the newsroom, he’s a proud father and an avid fan of history, music, pop culture, and sports.
Akintunde Babatunde
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Abuja, Nigeria / Iowa, United States
Country of origin: Nigeria
Organization: Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development
Role: Executive Director
Akintunde Babatunde is the Executive Director at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), a leading pan-African media development think tank. His work sits at the intersection of platform governance, information integrity, and digital rights in the Global South.
Leandro Camino
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Country of origin: Argentina
Organization: Telefe
Role: Digital Content Sr. Manager
Leandro Camino is a journalist and digital media leader with more than 20 years of experience across television, radio, and digital platforms. He currently serves as Senior Digital Content Manager at Telefe, Argentina’s leading TV network, where he oversees multiplatform strategy and audience growth. In recent years, he has driven innovation in the production of diverse digital content — including sports, news, and entertainment live streams — helping expand Telefe’s presence across social and streaming platforms in Argentina. His work focuses on integrating emerging technologies and AI tools to enhance newsroom workflows and content verification. Beyond his newsroom leadership, Camino has trained journalists throughout Latin America through programs with FOPEA, Fundación Gabo, and Universidad Austral, fostering innovation and ethical digital storytelling across the region.
Maria Cristerna
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Mexico City, Mexico
Country of origin: Mexico
Organization: N+
Role: Deputy editorial director
María C. is a journalist and marketing analyst focused on audience insights, media innovation, and digital storytelling. She has more than eight years of experience working with leading media organizations and public institutions in Mexico, where she has developed strategies to better understand audiences and guide newsroom transformation. She holds a degree in Marketing from Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) and pursued graduate studies in Political Analysis and Media at EGAP. Maria also completed the News Marketing Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. Her work explores how data, technology, and editorial strategy shape the ways people engage with news and information. María is currently exploring the intersection of journalism and artificial intelligence through her work in digital media labs. As part of the Leaders Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, she aims to deepen her work in AI-driven storytelling and newsroom innovation.
Vagner de Alencar Silva
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: São Paulo, Brazil
Country of origin: Brazil
Organization: Agência Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias
Role: Director of journalism
Vagner de Alencar is a journalist and researcher with a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Education, over a decade of experience in community-based and independent journalism, and a strong commitment to equity and representation in the media. He is the Co-founder and Director of Journalism at Agência Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias, a nonprofit news organization that amplifies voices from underrepresented areas of Greater São Paulo, Brazil. Vagner was a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (2024–2025), supported by the U.S. Department of State. He is also the author of “Cidade do Paraíso – Há vida na maior favela de São Paulo,” a book portraying everyday life and resilience in one of Brazil’s largest favelas.
Rachael Dixon
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Organization: Associated Press
Role: Director of Strategic Growth – Workflow Solutions
Rachael Dixon is a strategic growth leader at the Associated Press, working across commercial strategy, product development and newsroom systems. She explores how Agentic AI can support strategic work and help news organisations work with more clarity. Her role centres on bringing structure to complex environments and supporting work that strengthens workflows and creates new opportunities for growth. She has held senior roles spanning audience and consumer revenue, product development and strategy at Bonnier News, Schibsted and the Financial Times. She has led key projects, supported major product and subscription launches and contributed to growth plans shaped by audience insight. She co founded Dixon and Axelsson in 2020, a consultancy that works with founders, including many female led ventures, to strengthen brand direction and build growth plans that support sustained progress. Rachael has supported early stage ventures through KTH Innovation at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and sits on the board of Dogl Calculus, a US/Swedish edtech startup. She also founded Co Human, creating AI tools and leadership notes for neurodivergent leaders. An alumna of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, she moved to Stockholm in 2014.
Aisha Farrukh Saeed
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Country of origin: Pakistan
Organization: The Centrum Media
Role: Head of Content
Aisha is a multimedia journalist based in Pakistan with over seven years of professional experience. Currently, she leads the Content Department at The Centrum Media (TCM), Asia’s pioneering video-based and Pakistan’s foremost digital news network. Previously, she worked as a data journalist with Media Matters for Democracy, a non-profit focused on media literacy, and as a freelance writer for The Nation. Her work revolves around historical narratives and in-depth stories that spark dialogue in Pakistan’s complex and polarised society. Traveling across the country, she has met people from diverse backgrounds who share one struggle keeping their stories alive. Giving voice to their experiences while portraying all perspectives drives her passion for storytelling. In recent years, she has focused on climate change, particularly after the devastating 2022 floods. She has received story grants from Internews, GRID-Arendal, and the Pulitzer Center, and twice earned the “Journalist of the Year” award for Impact Journalism.
Jacob Fries
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Spokane, Washington, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: InvestigateWest
Role: Executive Director
Jacob Fries is the executive director of InvestigateWest, a nonprofit newsroom producing high-impact investigative journalism across the Pacific Northwest. A veteran reporter, editor and newsroom leader, he’s spent his career recruiting and mentoring emerging journalists, forging innovative media partnerships and managing investigative projects that have prompted reforms, sparked lawsuits and freed wrongfully convicted men. Before joining InvestigateWest in 2021, he spent two decades working for daily and weekly newspapers, including stints at the Tampa Bay Times and the New York Times. Once, for an investigation into jail crowding, he spent 48 hours living as an inmate in a maximum-security cellblock where he slept on the floor next to an open toilet. He lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife and two young daughters.
Elisabeth Gamperl
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Berlin, Germany
Country of origin: Austria
Organization: dpa
Role: Product Manager New Editorial Products
Elisabeth Gamperl is product manager for new editorial products at dpa, Germany’s largest news agency. She is dedicated to shaping the evolving ways news is consumed and distributed, working at the intersection of technology, journalism, and product development. Before joining dpa, Elisabeth spent ten years at Süddeutsche Zeitung, where she helped drive the use of AI in journalism and played a key role in building up visual storytelling, collaborating on major investigative projects such as the Paradise Papers and Panama Papers. In 2021, she was a Fellow at the Reuters Institute in Oxford, researching data-driven newsroom practices.
Christine Glancey
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Rest of World Media
Role: Executive Editor
Christine Glancey is an executive editor at Rest of World, a global non-profit newsroom focused on technology outside the West. She previously served as a deputy editor for standards at The Wall Street Journal, including advising newsroom-wide initiatives on AI strategy, deep fake forensics, and reader trust R&D. With over three decades of experience at the Journal, Christine held key roles including serving as the managing editor for the Asia edition in Hong Kong, chief news editor for daily digital publishing, and a masthead role as deputy managing editor for news operations and talent. She has also recently worked as a consultant for NBC News and served as an adjunct professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York.
Lena Grotticelli
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: TAG24 NEWS
Role: Vice President, US
Lena Grotticelli is Vice President of TAG24 NEWS US, the home of current events and pop culture trends at TAG24.com. She powers business development, partnerships, strategy, and operations at the global digital media outlet’s US headquarters at One World Trade Center in New York, and has built the company’s US market presence in eCommerce, branding, and social media. She previously served as Senior Editor and specializes in leading international teams.
Amanda Hofmockel
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Hearst Connecticut Media Group
Role: Managing Editor – Audience and Innovation
Mandy Hofmockel is Hearst Connecticut Media Group’s Managing Editor of Audience and Innovation, serving as a senior newsroom leader for the largest local news outlet in the state with about 130 journalists. She oversees digital strategy across platforms, including sites, app, search, newsletters and social, with a focus on growing and retaining digital subscriptions. She liaises with partners in marketing, ad/sales, product and analytics on core initiatives. Before joining Hearst Connecticut in 2020, Hofmockel was a senior audience editor and producer at Newsday for nearly 7 years, acting as a key editorial stakeholder alongside development, design and audience growth teams on products and digital strategy aimed at expanding, engaging and retaining readership. She was selected for Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in May 2018 and invited back as an instructor in February 2020. While at Newsday, she participated in Poynter’s Local News Innovation Program and the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program.
Anna Johnson
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Washington, D.C., United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: The Associated Press
Role: Washington Bureau Chief
Anna Johnson oversees AP’s coverage of U.S. politics and elections, and America’s foreign and domestic policy and federal government as Washington bureau chief. Johnson joined AP in 2004, and prior to moving to Washington in 2002 she was AP’s news director for Europe and Africa based in London.
Yukari Kane
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Prison Journalism Project
Role: CEO and Editor-in-Chief
Yukari Kane is a founder and the CEO of Prison Journalism Project. She is an author, educator and veteran journalist with 20 years of experience, including at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. She co-authored A Prison Writers’s Guide to Media Writing, and her book Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs was a best-seller, translated into seven languages. She has taught at Northwestern University, UC Berkeley and San Quentin State Prison. She is a member of News Literacy Project’s advisory council and an advisor for The Endeavor, a prison newspaper at Everglades Correctional Institution in Florida.
Michael Krechting
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Essen, Germany
Country of origin: Germany
Organization: Funke Media Group
Role: Deputy Editor-in-chief Digital & Development at WAZ & Westfalenpost
Michael Krechting is Deputy Editor-in-Chief Digital & Development at FUNKE Medien NRW (WAZ, Westfalenpost) and, in this role, is jointly responsible for a team of around 20 digital journalists who research, create, and prepare multimedia content for FUNKE’s digital platforms in North Rhine-Westphalia (West Germany). As part of the editorial leadership team at FUNKE in North Rhine-Westphalia, he also develops the digital strategy for all editorial offices, which employ more than 300 colleagues. Until the end of 2020, he headed the central digital editorial office of NOZ media group in Hamburg, which was responsible for national topics for the news websites noz.de, shz.de, and svz.de. He was also responsible for NOZ’s editorial digital strategy. Krechting has held management positions in online journalism for almost 20 years now and gained professional experience at highly regared media organizations like Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger (Cologne, Germany). He studied political science, German philology and public law at the University of Muenster, Germany and is a graduate and former scholarship holder of the german catholic journalism school “ifp”.
Andrew Losowsky
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Organization: CalMatters
Role: Director of Product / Product Editor
Andrew Losowsky brings journalists closer to the communities they serve, to improve people’s lives. He is currently the Director of Product / Product Editor at CalMatters and The Markup, where he builds on the agency and empowerment of Californians through journalistic tools. He was the founding head of The Coral Project (later ‘Coral’), a Knight Foundation-funded collaboration between Mozilla, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Coral is an open source community platform for journalism, as well as a series of strategy guides and original research. Coral’s software is now in 23 languages and powers conversations for more than 60 publishers around the world. Andrew ran Coral for ten years, managing its acquisition by Vox Media where he became Head of Community Product. He oversaw community strategy across the organization, including the development of SB Nation’s new social platform, The Feed. Andrew is the co-creator of Perspectives, a project that helps journalists find inspiration from a broader range of work and practice, and generates connections with experts in other industries. He is also an advisor to Documented, and a teacher and mentor to students and early-career journalists.
Jane Mahoney
Pronouns: they/them
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: Australia
Organization: The Wall Street Journal
Role: Director, Strategic Initiatives
Jane is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Wall Street Journal where they work with partners across the organization to identify white space opportunities and translate them into subscription revenue. Previously, Jane was Head of Reader Revenue at Private Media (Melbourne, Australia) where they led subscription efforts across the entire user journey for all three of Private Media’s publications: Crikey, The Mandarin and Smart Company. They have also coached and consulted with newsrooms throughout APAC and North America where they helped identify and better monetize audiences. Jane has worked in media across South Korea, Australia and the US where they’ve held roles in the newsroom, marketing and business strategy.
Maddalena Maltese
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: Italy
Organization: Il Sole 24 Ore
Role: Correspondent
Italian-American journalist and New York correspondent for Radiocor-Il Sole24ore (Italy’s leading financial news agency), contributing to outlets in Italy and the U.S. As editor-in-chief of Città Nuova online for four years, she led 21 foreign correspondents and covered the Syrian war sharing more than 100 stories. She serves as consultant on Integral Ecology and Circular Economy for Fondazione Mario Diana, and handles strategy and vision for Focolare Media U.S. Passionate about intercultural and interreligious dialogue, she’s an ambassador for Religions for Peace International and represents New Humanity NGO at the UN Multifaith Advisory Council in New York. She holds degrees in Philosophy and Journalism, plus a Master’s in Journalism and certification in Public Communication. In the U.S., she earned a post-graduate certification in Global Studies from NYU and specialized in Digital and Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Her work and interfaith engagement have taken her to 18 countries.
Julia Moak
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Country of origin: South Korea
Organization: Greenpointers
Role: Publisher
Julia Moak is owner and publisher of Greenpointers. She has over 12 years of experience as a product developer, conceptualizing and overseeing the launch of various award winning web and mobile applications. By late 2014, she was ready to branch out on her own and bought her neighborhood news site Greenpointers.com. Despite having no experience in journalism or events, she hit the ground running, immediately writing stories and producing the first of many seasonal markets. It gave her valuable insight into the pain points of running a hyperlocal media outlet and is now committed to exploring ways to make it sustainable through design and technology.
Meghan Rafferty
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Versant
Role: VP, Standards
Meghan Rafferty is the Vice President of News Standards at Versant, guiding newsrooms at MSNBC and CNBC to ensure their work is fair, accurate and transparent. Rafferty is a key voice within both networks’ news leadership, helping to set and maintain the highest standards for journalism. Prior to joining Versant in September, Rafferty was the executive producer of NBC Nightly News, anchored by Tom Llamas and Lester Holt for four years. Under her leadership, NBC Nightly News was recognized with a News and Documentary Emmy for Holt’s exclusive interview with President Biden, just days before he ended his reelection bid. Meghan was also among those honored with a 2025 George Polk award for the investigative series ‘Dealing the Dead’. Prior to joining NBC News, Meghan was with CNN for 10 years where she produced Wolf Blitzer’s newsmaking interviews and in 2009, launched Christiane Amanpour’s program, working as the lead editorial producer.
Eugenia Richman
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: Argentina
Organization: Penske Media
Role: Vice President, Editorial Innovation
Eugenia a media executive and industry thought-leader who has transformed and propelled brands and businesses through strategic decision making and culture. In her nearly 20 years as a journalist, she’s gone from writer to editor to production manager to audience developer to business strategist. Most recently, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Wear Daily and now as the Vice President of Editorial Innovation for all of the brands at PMC, including Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Billboard. Prior to joining PMC, she launched a site for Café Media, served as the Managing Editor of xoJane.com, and worked as an editor at VOGUE and InStyle. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor’s in journalism and from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in 2010.
Juan Carlos Simo Burgos
Pronouns: He/him
Current location: Argentina, Buenos Aires
Country of origin: Argentina
Organization: La Nación (Argentina)
Role: Editor in chief | AI Adoption leader
Journalist and digital media strategist specializing in editorial product management, audience growth, and newsroom transformation. Currently Chief Editor of La Nación (Argentina)’s US Hispanics project and AI Adoption Lead in the Newsroom, driving best practices in AI adoption and exploring creative uses. With over a decade leading digital projects at Argentina’s top news organizations, he has led digital innovation, subscription models, and platform development. Strategic consultant for Latin America-wide programs accelerating the growth of media outlets and journalism startups, working with organizations including ICFJ, SembraMedia, and Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA). Holds a Master’s in Journalism Innovation from Miguel Hernández University (Spain) and contributed to García Márquez Award finalist projects. His work bridges newsrooms, technology, and business, focusing on strategic use of data and emerging technologies. Focused on integrating AI and emerging technologies to strengthen journalism’s impact and sustainability.