Communications
The latest from Suncoast Searchlight.
November 24, 2025
Recently, after Suncoast Searchlight reporters raised concerns about the use of AI in editing, the Board of Directors worked with staff and management to review how AI has been used in the newsroom.
In our review, we have found that nothing published by the Searchlight team was created by generative AI. One staff-written story in the spring was trimmed as an experimental use of AI and then further edited by journalists. It is now labeled to reflect that process. We will have a public-facing policy governing the use of AI in research and writing before the end of the year.
Based on our investigation, every journalist on staff stands firmly behind the factual accuracy of their published work.
The board remains firmly behind the integrity of the journalism, the editorial processes and the leadership of the Searchlight team. We are proud of what the team has accomplished.
Signed,
Chris Davis, Carol LoCicero, Kelly McBride, Greg Parris, Sam Scott and Keith Woods
