Artificial intelligence is no longer a future-facing concept in journalism — it’s becoming a practical tool in today’s newsroom. On February 24 from 1–2 p.m. EST, the New England Newspaper & Press Association will host Google AI Tools for News, a live NENPA University session presented by Colleen Kimmett of the Google News Initiative. Designed for reporters, editors, publishers, freelancers, and students, this online training will offer a practical overview of how three powerful, free tools — Pinpoint, NotebookLM, and Gemini — can streamline investigative research and daily reporting workflows.
Participants will learn how Pinpoint can search thousands of PDFs, handwritten notes, and audio files in seconds to surface patterns and key entities; how NotebookLM can be used to build a “grounded” AI assistant from trusted sources to generate summaries, brainstorm angles, and create briefings; and how Gemini can assist with SEO headlines, social media copy, and organizing unstructured information. In a moment when deadlines are tight and information is abundant, these tools offer real-world solutions for managing beats more effectively and finding stories faster. All tools are free with a Google account, though Pinpoint requires advance access approval. Click here to request access. Please note that this session will not be recorded, so attendees should plan to participate live.
Colleen Kimmett brings 15 years of experience in independent media to her role at Google News Initiative. She began her career at The Tyee, helped found The Discourse, and played a role in launching the Institute for Investigative Journalism at Concordia University. Her work focuses on supporting journalists and strengthening sustainable newsroom practices.
This February webinar is just the beginning. The Google News Initiative will also present two in-depth sessions at the 2026 New England Newspaper Convention, March 13–14 in Portsmouth, NH: Turning Data into Headlines using Google Gemini + Pinpoint and Accelerating Research & Ensuring Trust with Google NotebookLM and SynthID. Together, these sessions will expand on how newsrooms of all sizes can responsibly integrate AI tools into editorial and business workflows.
Join us online February 24 to get started — and continue the learning in Portsmouth this March.