Enlace Latino NC implemented generative AI tools to address a critical challenge facing our newsroom and audience: expanding access to high-quality journalism for English-speaking audiences while preserving the cultural relevance, editorial voice, and rigor of our Spanish-language reporting.
As an independent nonprofit newsroom serving Latino communities across North Carolina, we identified a growing need to connect with second- and third-generation Latinos, allies, advocates, and broader English-speaking audiences interested in immigration, education, public policy, labor, health, and Latino community issues. To meet this need, we developed a custom AI-assisted translation workflow using OpenAI tools to translate Spanish-language reporting into high-quality English-language content.
Rather than relying on generic automated translation – which results in many errors and reduces the professionalism of our journalistic output – our newsroom created a tailored AI prompt system specifically designed to align with AP style and Enlace Latino NC’s editorial voice. The workflow was collaboratively tested across our bilingual team to ensure linguistic accuracy, contextual precision, and cultural relevance. Human oversight remained central throughout the process, with bilingual editors reviewing all translated content before publication.
This AI-assisted workflow became the foundation for launching La Tortilla, in English, an English-language newsletter, published twice a month, that brings in-depth reporting from North Carolina’s Latino communities to broader audiences. To support the launch, we implemented a targeted digital subscription strategy that included website popups and coordinated social media outreach. The initiative exceeded expectations, generating more than 230 new subscribers and achieving a 47% open rate for the first issue. As of March 30, we now have over 1,400 subscribers.
The project demonstrates how generative AI can strengthen accessibility and audience engagement while maintaining strong editorial standards and human oversight. AI tools improved newsroom productivity by reducing translation time and allowing staff to focus more heavily on reporting, editing, and audience engagement rather than repetitive workflow tasks. At the same time, the process expanded the reach of stories that often receive limited attention in mainstream English-language media.
Responsible implementation was central to the project design. Enlace Latino NC developed a formal newsroom AI policy establishing standards for transparency, human supervision, privacy protection, bias mitigation, editorial accountability, and audience trust. Under this policy, AI tools function strictly as support systems rather than autonomous editorial producers. No AI-assisted content is published without human review, editing, verification, and approval.
The policy also prohibits the use of AI in ways that could endanger vulnerable communities, including the unauthorized use of sensitive personal information or automated coverage of highly sensitive topics without editorial oversight. The newsroom maintains internal traceability records documenting AI-assisted workflows and publicly discloses significant AI-assisted production when applicable.
This project reflects Enlace Latino NC’s broader commitment to using emerging technologies responsibly and creatively to expand access to trusted journalism, strengthen community engagement, and improve the accessibility of public-interest reporting for multilingual audiences.
