Journalists at Politico and E&E News have entered arbitration with management over claims that the company breached AI-related protections in their collective bargaining agreement. It is one of the first significant tests of enforceable AI rules within a newsroom.
The PEN Guild, representing journalists at the two outlets, secured contract terms requiring management to negotiate over new AI tools and ensure any AI-generated content meets the same ethical and editorial standards as human reporting. The protections aim to safeguard journalism as AI adoption grows across the industry.
The union alleges Politico violated the agreement in two ways.
First, by publishing AI-generated live coverage of political events without informing the union or ensuring proper human editorial review.
Second, by launching an AI-powered research tool for subscribers that produced fabricated reports, including false analyses of lobbying groups such as the “Basket Weavers Guild” and the “League of Left-Handed Plumbers”. The tool, developed with the startup Capitol AI, was intended to generate reports based on Politico’s journalism.
The PEN Guild described the tool’s output as “garbled intelligence” and “made-up Washington news”, arguing that such errors breach the contract’s requirement for human oversight and editorial standards.
The case highlights the lack of federal rules governing AI use in media, with union contracts increasingly seen as the main mechanism for setting enforceable standards. “We’re fighting not just for our contract, but for the future of ethical journalism in the age of AI,” said Arianna Skibell, the union’s vice chair for contract enforcement.
Politico’s agreement with the PEN Guild was among the first in the industry to include explicit AI protections. The contract also covers pay equity, benefits and layoff terms. The arbitration outcome is expected to set an important precedent for how much influence journalists have over AI use in their newsrooms.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://talkingbiznews.com/media-news/politico-ee-news-reporters-go-to-arbitration-over-ai/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://wbng.org/2025/07/11/release-pen-guild-heads-to-arbitration-today-over-politicos-ai-violations/ – On July 11, 2025, unionized journalists at POLITICO and E&E News commenced arbitration proceedings to address alleged violations of AI usage protections in their collective bargaining agreement. The PEN Guild’s contract, one of the first in the media industry to include enforceable AI rules, mandates management to negotiate over new AI tools and ensure AI-generated content adheres to the same ethical standards as human reporting. The union alleges that POLITICO violated these provisions by publishing AI-generated live coverage without required union notice or human review and by launching an AI tool that produced factual errors. The arbitration aims to protect journalistic integrity in the age of AI.
- https://www.pen-guild.org/news/politico-and-eampe-news-guild-reach-agreement-on-first-contract – On January 23, 2024, the POLITICO and E&E News (PEN) Guild reached a tentative agreement for their first collective bargaining agreement after 20 months of negotiations. The three-year contract includes numerous improvements for the company’s journalists, including higher pay that helps close inequities in the newsroom, stronger benefits, and layoff protections—enhanced protections against adoption of artificial intelligence, some of the industry’s first contract language regarding the use of AI.
- https://newsguild.org/politico-and-ee-news-staffers-ink-first-contract/ – On January 23, 2024, the POLITICO and E&E News (PEN) Guild reached a tentative agreement for their first-ever collective bargaining agreement after 20 months of negotiations. The three-year contract includes numerous improvements for the company’s journalists, including higher pay that helps close inequities in the newsroom, stronger benefits, and layoff protections—enhanced protections against adoption of artificial intelligence, some of the industry’s first contract language regarding the use of AI.
- https://www.wired.com/story/politico-workers-axel-springer-artificial-intelligence/ – In 2024, Politico became one of the first newsrooms to secure a union contract that included rules on deploying artificial intelligence. The PEN Guild, representing Politico and E&E News, alleges that the AI provisions in their contract have been violated, leading to a legal dispute with management. The outcome could set a precedent for how much input journalists have over AI use in their newsrooms. Last year, Politico began publishing AI-generated live news summaries during major political events like the Democratic National Convention and the US vice presidential debates. In March, it debuted a suite of AI tools called Policy Intelligence Assistance for paying subscribers, developed in partnership with Capitol AI.
- https://newsguild.org/staff-of-politico-ee-news-are-unionizing/ – The staff of Politico and E&E News announced their intention to unionize as part of The NewsGuild-CWA. Over 80 percent of the reporters, producers, copy editors, page designers, audio engineers, videographers, and others signed cards and a mission statement indicating their intent to form The PEN Guild, which will be part of Washington-Baltimore News Guild Local 32035. The workers seek equitable pay, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and job protections for everyone, believing these will enable them to do their best work.
- https://dailycaller.com/2025/06/09/politico-ai-tool-fake-news-union/ – Politico’s AI-powered research tool for premium subscribers has been generating fabricated reports about fictional lobbying groups, including detailed analyses of the ‘Basket Weavers Guild’ and ‘League of Left-Handed Plumbers.’ The tool, created in partnership with startup Capitol AI, was designed to help Politico Pro subscribers quickly generate comprehensive reports from the outlet’s journalism. Instead, it’s producing what union members are calling garbled intelligence and made-up Washington news. The fabricated reports have become a rallying point for Politico’s editorial union, which filed a complaint earlier this year alleging the company violated contract language requiring AI tools to comply with ‘journalistic ethics and involve human oversight.’
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is current, with the arbitration hearing taking place on July 11, 2025. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is July 11, 2025, from Talking Biz News. The report is original and not recycled from other sources. The narrative is based on a press release from the PEN Guild, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content has not appeared more than 7 days earlier. The article includes updated data and does not recycle older material.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from union representatives, such as Arianna Skibell and Ariel Wittenberg, are unique to this report. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content. No variations in quote wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from a press release issued by the PEN Guild, representing over 270 journalists at Politico and E&E News. The PEN Guild is a reputable organisation, and the press release is a direct communication from them, ensuring reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about the arbitration over AI-related protections are plausible and align with previous reports from reputable sources. For instance, WIRED reported on the legal battle between Politico’s newsroom and management over AI implementation, highlighting similar concerns. ([wired.com](https://www.wired.com/story/politico-workers-axel-springer-artificial-intelligence/?utm_source=openai)) The narrative includes specific details, such as the involvement of CapitolAI in developing the ‘Report Builder’ tool, which adds credibility. The language and tone are consistent with typical press releases from professional organisations.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and based on a reliable source—the PEN Guild’s press release. The claims are plausible and supported by previous reputable reports. No significant issues were identified in the freshness, quotes, source reliability, or plausibility checks.
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