Generative AI and its disruptive challenge to journalism: an institutional analysis

Abstract This conceptual article examines the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on journalism through the lens of institutionalism. Building on Stephen D. Reese’s definition of institutions as “complex social structures” sustained by interlocking norms, roles, technologies, and collective frames of meaning, the article argues that generative AI marks a pivotal shift in journalism’s institutional coherence. Unlike earlier technological disruptions, generative AI directly intervenes in the core creative processes of journalism, challenging traditional norms of authorship, originality, and professional identity. Drawing on scholarship from institutionalism as it pertains to journalism studies and from Human–Machine Communication (HMC), this study situates generative AI as a transformative force within journalism while also acknowledging it as an emerging institution in its own right. We advance theoretical debates regarding the implications of GenAI for journalism and chart a path for future research into the ethical, epistemic, and operational dimensions of AI-driven journalism.