Opportunity: Learn how to use Google Pinpoint's AI features to find evidence faster, cross-check and validate information, and organize your research

Jun 1, 2026

Analyzing large collections, transcribing audio, and extracting data are common pain points for local journalists. While AI promises to be helpful with these tasks, it can often be unclear how or when to use Large Language Models (LLMs) — or whether it’s safe to upload sensitive information to public AI services.

Analyzing large collections, transcribing audio, and extracting data are common pain points for local journalists. While AI promises to be helpful with these tasks, it can often be unclear how or when to use Large Language Models (LLMs) — or whether it’s safe to upload sensitive information to public AI services.

Google developed Pinpoint specifically to address these concerns. It is a non-fee, secure research platform that allows journalists to upload documents to a private workspace, ensuring your source materials remain protected and are not used to train public AI models.

To help you navigate this tool, The Lenfest Institute is hosting a technical walkthrough on Monday, June 1, at 1:30 p.m. ET. We will show how Pinpoint can help you "transform document chaos into searchable, organized archives."

The session will cover how to use Pinpoint to:

  • Search massive collections: Scan thousands of documents simultaneously to identify specific people, locations, or organizations.
  • Transcribe audio: Convert recordings into searchable text to quickly pull quotes from interviews or public meetings.
  • Extract information: Use built-in tools to summarize long files and pull specific data points from document sets.
  • Structure research: Organize and secure source materials for long-term or collaborative investigations.

Register here