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Artificial intelligence is entering nearly every profession. It can help gain insights into enormous, complex data sets, summarize technical writing and reports, and provide a bullet-point list of takeaways.

In other words, AI is a powerful, sharp tool, but it cuts both ways.

As much as it can aid us in our work, it comes with several risks, like inaccuracies, data security concerns, and job loss. So, how can we take the best of what AI has to offer, and avoid the worst of its pitfalls? The journalism profession is grappling with those very questions today.

More than ever, the question of how news organizations will use artificial intelligence seems existential. That’s because local news outlets continue to vanish across the country and the implications are huge.

It means fewer watchdog reporters — that is, fewer people holding local leaders accountable, from the powerful people sitting on city council to the school board. It means less accountability for law enforcement, who often try to operate with little transparency. It means less connection to our neighbors and less engagement overall with our community.

Journalism is a shield for democracy. Research on local news illuminates this. Voter turnout is higher in communities with a strong local news landscape. Meanwhile, in places with less local campaign coverage, voters are less likely to vote.

The crisis of local news feels more dire now in the face of an administration that is openly hostile to the press. The Trump administration has taken unprecedented moves against this country’s free press, and the effects on national outlets will be felt by local media, too.

Two guests joined The Metro to help us make sense of this moment.

Liam Andrew is the technology lead at the American Journalism Project’s Product & AI Studio, where he advises nonprofit newsrooms on adopting artificial intelligence into their work.

In the second half of the hour, Margaret Sullivan stopped by. She’s the executive director for the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at Columbia University. She’s also a former media columnist for the Washington Post and a former public editor for The New York Times. Her Substack newsletter about journalism and democracy is titled “American Crisis.”

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 18, 2025: 

• When “Sing Sing” was released last summer, it became the first film to be simultaneously released in theaters and in prisons through Edovo, a free online education platform serving over 900,000 incarcerated learners. Brian Hill is the CEO of the Edovo Foundation. He joined the show to talk about the significance of connecting incarcerated people to information and education.

• ShotStoppers is Detroit’s most prized crime reduction program. For a little over a year, the community intervention violence project has helped stop violence before it happens. But the program may not continue beyond 2025. ShotStoppers rests on federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, which will soon fade. Producer Sam Corey sat down with interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison to learn more about the program and how he’s advocating for sustained funding.

• Detroit is one of the most important music cities in America. We’re finally getting some credit for being the birthplace of Techno music, sounds that came out of Motown can still be heard on rotation, and we often talk about Jazz and its influence on Motown. But there’s a common thread that weaves all this music together — the Black church. Debroah Smith Pollard is a professor emeritus of English literature at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She is also the long-time host of ‘Sunday Morning Inspiration.’ Pollard joined The Metro to talk about the state of Gospel music and why Detroit is so influential to the genre.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Social media has dramatically changed our world. Connecting with new people meant leaving your house, starting a hobby or joining a group of interest. But social media and dating apps have made all of that much simpler, at least when you’re glued to a screen.

All it takes is the swipe of a finger to discover or connect with someone you may have never actually met in the real world. There is a significant number of people doing this via popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, BLK and Hinge. According to the Pew Research Center, 30% of adults in the U.S. have used a dating site or app.

Today on The Metro, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, we explore how social media and dating apps have altered romantic relationships. 

Guests:

• Stephanie Tong: Wayne State University professor and expert on the intersection of social media and relational communication.
• Aqua Tofana: Comedian and host of Match Made on Stage, a show where attendees sign up to speed date in front of a live audience.
• Erin Stiebel: Jewish educator and community leader in metro Detroit. While not an official matchmaker, she’s connected five couples who’ve gone on to fall in love and get married. 

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 13, 2025: 

• Narratives of Pain will host its “Broken Hearts and Connections” event at 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day at the Apothecary Espresso and Coffee shop in Farmington. Therapist Dr. Zain Shamoon joined the show to discuss the event. 

• Each year, Kresge Arts in Detroit selects and awards an eminent artist. It’s someone who has dedicated their life to art and uplifting Detroit’s cultural community. The 2025 Eminent Artist Marion Hayden joined the show to discuss the honor. 

• WDET will be celebrating the end of its 75th year with a special member-only event at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit on Thursday. There’s so much history here at WDET and some of the most interesting stuff takes us back to the very beginning. News Director Jerome Vaughn dusted off the library shelves and hooked up the microfilm for a look at WDET’s early days.
• WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper caught up with Detroit Film Theatre Director Elliot Wilhelm to find out more about the Academy Award Nominated Short Films program running through March 2.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The city of Detroit ranks No. 3 in the nation for pedestrian fatalities, but we’re not alone.

It’s getting more dangerous to be a pedestrian or cyclist just about anywhere you look in the U.S. — where pedestrian deaths have gone up 68% since 2011, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Roughly 30% of Detroiters don’t own a car, so the question of how to stay safe navigating the city’s roads and sidewalks is a serious one for many. Today on The Metro, we discussed bike and pedestrian safety and how Detroit is making our streets safer. 

Guests:  

• Jason Hall: Founder of Slow Roll Detroit and RiDetroit, an e-bike and walking tour company.
• Leona Medley: Executive director of the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership
• Todd Scott: Executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 11, 2025: 

• Umoja Fine Arts in Southfield is giving kids a creative outlet for their voices to be heard. Curator Ian Grant joined the show to talk about a series of workshops they’re hosting during Black History Month. 

• Life Remodeled is working on a new opportunity hub on the east side, Anchor Detroit, that will open up in the Denby neighborhood December 2025. WDET’s Jack Filbrandt toured the building and discussed the project with Vice President of Opportunity Hubs Brandi Haggins.

• Metro Producer Sam Corey sat down with Director of Fiscal Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy James Hohman to discuss a new report that found corporate subsidies aren’t creating new jobs like people hoped. Hohman talks about why legislators give money to corporations to create jobs even though they often don’t come to be.

Tomorrow’s question: Should students use artificial intelligence in schools?

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

There’s a hidden gem in Southwest Detroit that’s keeping hockey, ice skating and the wintertime spirit alive — and it needs support.

Back in 1991, the ice rink at Clark Park — like several others throughout the city — was in disrepair, leading the city to shut down several parks it could no longer maintain due to financial constraints. By 1992, the rink at Clark Park was the only outdoor rink left in the city, and community members created a coalition to restore the rink and the rest of the park.

Anthony Benavides, director of the Clark Park Coalition, has been integral to saving the rink and making it part of the thriving neighborhood meeting place that Clark Park is today. He joined The Metro on Monday to discuss the coalition’s efforts and what park events are on the horizon.

Hear more stories from The Metro on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2025.

Tuesday’s question: 

“Are you afraid to get in an accident when walking and biking around Detroit?”

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The 2024 WNBA provided some of the highest viewership and attendance the league has seen in a while. Many of the league’s top players, like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, put together historic performances. 

But much of the 2024 season was highlighted by the rookie phenom Caitlin Clark. Fans turned out more than ever before to watch Clark and the Indiana Fever play. Her game against the Washington Mystics set the league attendance record as the most attended WNBA game in history. 

This new excitement around women’s professional basketball has folks interested in bringing a women’s team back to Detroit. Today on The Metro, we talk about this new interest around women’s basketball and the trajectory of women in sports more broadly.

Guests:

• Risa Isard: A professor of sports management at the University of Connecticut.
• Ketra Armstrong: Professor of sports management at the University of Michigan. She works to address gender and racial inequities in her field. 

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

Tomorrow’s question: Are you afraid to get in an accident when walking and biking around Detroit? 

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 10, 2025: 

• John Gallagher is a former 32-year Detroit Free Press reporter and columnist, where he covered economic redevelopment. He joined the show to discuss his new memoir, “Rust Belt Reporter,” about his time reporting in Detroit and around the Midwest.

• The Department of Education manages student loans and grants, and monitors how schools are treating vulnerable kids, such as those with disabilities. To help us understand how the changing political climate is affecting young people in Detroit, 482 Forward Communications Lead Imani Foster joined The Metro.

• Clark Park Coalition Director Anthony Benavides also joined the show to talk about the outdoor ice rink at the park and how they’re keeping the sport alive in Hockeytown.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Today on The Metro, we’re celebrating our first year on the air! 

It has been a ride. We’ve brought our listeners conversations from community leaders working to end violence to how we can all reduce waste.

This year, we’ll keep bringing you stories rooted in Detroit. We’re following culture and arts, keeping track of the city’s mayoral race, and connecting with more community organizations that are changing lives. 

Use the media players below to hear our favorite stories from our first year on air. 

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

First Year Favorites from The Metro on Feb. 5, 2025:

• Zoe Kennedy is the executive director of FORCE Detroit. He joined the show in January to reflect on how community violence intervention programs like his have contributed to Detroit experiencing the lowest number of homicides in the city since 1965.

• Barb McQuade is a legal scholar, analyst and former U.S. Attorney. She joined the show after Donald Trump’s inauguration to dig into some of his many executive orders and discuss the boundaries of presidential power.

• Detroit’s poet laureate jessica Care moore is a world-renouned poet, author and musician. She joined the show in December to look back on the life and lecacy of celebrated poet Nikki Giovanni just after she passed.

• In addition to being the host of Modern Music on WDET, Jon Moshier is also the executive music producer for Doner Advertising. He joined the show in December to reflect on the art of the jingle.

• Ian Solomon is the founder of Amplify Outside and communications and engagement manager for the Detroit Parks Coalition. He joined the show in January to discuss how Amplify Outside works to remove barriers that prevent people from enjoying the outdoors. 

• Tepfirah Rushdan is the director of Detroit’s Office of Sustainability. She joined the show in January to discuss what the city of Detroit is doing to reduce waste, what we can do personally and what it means to center sustainability in our food system.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Charles Wright Museum of African-American History is one of the most recognizable museums in the city. Its creative and eye-opening exhibits have given us a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Black life and American history. 

As Black History Month gets underway, Manager of Community Engagement Yoland Jack joins the show to share special events happening in February and how Black history is Detroit’s history. 

One of the exhibits on display until March is “I, Charles H. Wright,” taking a closer look at how the museum began. Wright was a physician that founded the Afro-American Museum in 1965. The museum was later renamed after him. 

Hear more stories from The Metro on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

President Donald Trump’s administration is making fast and far reaching changes to immigration in the U.S, during his first week in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders and proclamations centered on immigration. 

These policies have sent shockwaves through immigrant communities in Michigan, especially in Southwest Detroit, where a high concentration of Latino and Hispanic immigrants live.

WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley spent some time in Southwest Detroit during a recent immigrant rights rally. 

Hear more stories from The Metro from Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Detroit Piston fans have been wondering: will the Pistons have a shot at the NBA Playoffs in 2025? The Pistons currently are dancing above a .500 winning percentage. The team is 7th in the East as we get closer to the NBA All-Star break on Valentine’s Day Weekend.

Detroit Free Press Pistons Beat Writer Omari Sankofa II joins the show to discuss how the team is doing. Sankofa is also the co-host of The Pistons Pulse podcast. 

Hear more stories from The Metro from Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Most families enroll their kids in a traditional school, whether it’s a public, private, or charter school. But since the pandemic, more parents have taken their kids out of those classrooms and are homeschooling their kids. 

The number of homeschooled students drastically increased around the time of COVID-19 school closures and have remained high. Right now, it’s estimated that there are between 2 and 3 million homeschooled students in the U.S, a little over 5% of students, according to the Washington Post. In the 2018-19 school year, right before the pandemic, that number was a little over 3.5%. 

Today on The Metro, we’re looking into why parents are deciding to homeschool their children more frequently.

Guests:

Angela Watson: Senior Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Education Policy. She researches the impact of schooling and learning, with an emphasis on homeschooling.

Leslie Vaughn: A parent who has been homeschooling her kids, at some part of their lives, for nearly 30 years. Vaughn is a mother of 8 and she’s also the wife of WDET news director Jerome Vaughn. 

Lily Altavena: Educational Equity Reporter for the Detroit Free Press that worked on an investigation into the neglect of a homeschooled student. 

We also asked listeners:

Would you homeschool your kids? Why or why not? 

Kristy in Lathrup Village said, “I did homeschool my kids, so they are high functioning adults in society. One is a lawyer and one works for a major company and is a composer and a musician.” 

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app. 

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 3, 2025:

• WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley spent some time in Southwest Detroit during a recent immigrant rights rally. She joins the show to discuss how the community is reacting to President Donald Trump’s 10 executive orders centered on immigration. 

• Mike Colias is the deputy bureau chief covering auto companies for the Wall Street Journal’s Detroit bureau. He joins the show to talk about his new book “Inevitable” and how the transition to electric vehicles is happening.

• As we get closer to the NBA All-Star break on Valentine’s weekend, the Pistons are 7th in the East. It’s a far cry from their previous two seasons. Detroit Free Press Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II joins the show to talk about the team.

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued executive orders aimed to reduce diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. He and many other conservative voices have been critical of the programs. Some have even called them racist. 

Supporters of DEI initiatives argue the programming creates environments where all people regardless of their background can thrive. 

Today on The Metro, we’re taking a look at the future of DEI initiatives in the U.S. 

Guests: 

• Ella F. Washington: Organizational psychologist, professor of practice at Georgetown University, and the author of the book “Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion.”
• Rachael Allen: Co-founder of Centric Place, a co-working space and incubator for local entrepreneurs. 

We also asked listeners:

“Should diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives be shut down? Have they been effective?”

Adella in Detroit said: “So DEI in my perspective was needed due to exclusions of African Americans in corporate jobs. Hiring based on merit was not working.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Tomorrow’s question: What are you doing to reduce waste?

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

More stories from The Metro on Jan. 29, 2025: 

• Michigan’s gubernatorial race isn’t until November 2026, but several prominent politicians have already declared their candidacy. Bridge Michigan Reporter Simon Schuster returns to the show to help us breakdown Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s time in office and who could be Michigan’s next governor. 

• Legal scholar and University of Michigan law professor Michelle Adams joined the show discuss her new book, “The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North.” 

• Egg prices have soared across the country in recent months, with the average price of a dozen eggs in Michigan hovering at $5. Kevin Cotter, professor and chair of Wayne State University’s Department of Economics, joined the show to discuss what’s affecting the price of eggs, groceries and inflation more broadly. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.