New England Newspaper & Press Association

This workshop offers a practical introduction to using AI for investigative journalism, focusing on real-world reporting applications. It covers workflows for extracting structure from text, cleaning data, identifying patterns, and checking findings with greater speed and depth, with demonstrations drawn from reporting on audit reports, public budgets, climate spending, and ad library data. It shows how investigative journalists can use AI tools to explore complex information and develop story ideas.

Housing intersects with nearly every major story journalists cover today—from elections and education to health, climate, business, and public safety. Yet many reporters believe housing is a specialized beat or feel unprepared to cover it responsibly.

This session, led by Princeton’s Eviction Lab, is designed for journalists of all beats and experience levels. Whether you’re a breaking news reporter, investigative journalist, data reporter, audience engagement journalist, or editor, we’ll show why housing deserves your attention—and how to cover it well without necessarily becoming a full-time housing reporter.

In this panel, attendees will learn:

• What’s happening nationally in housing and homelessness, including recent shifts in policy, affordability, and displacement—and how these trends connect to electoral politics and local governance.
• Four to five essential data tools every journalist should know to report on housing, eviction, rent, and homelessness, with a practical introduction to accessible resources and datasets.
• How to find housing stories in any community, including tips for identifying newsworthy angles beyond press releases and official statements.
• Ethical sourcing practices, with guidance on interviewing tenants and unhoused people in ways that minimize harm and avoid stigma.
• Examples of strong housing journalism, highlighting work that has driven accountability, influenced policy, or changed public understanding.
• Attendees will leave with concrete tools, story ideas, and a clearer sense of how housing reporting can strengthen their core beat—no matter what they usually cover.