Paris Brown, publisher of The Baltimore Times, has been named an Innovator of the Year by Local Media Association for her adoption of AI to drive efficiency, content improvements and audience development.
While many in the news business have treated artificial intelligence as a threat, Paris Brown has embraced AI as an opportunity.
“Improve the quality of life of our readers, that’s our mission,” said Brown. “We’re not afraid of AI. It’s our friend. It helps us serve our audience.”
Brown and the team at The Baltimore Times have creatively applied AI to everything from content creation and distribution to audience engagement and new AI-powered content experiences.
“I use it as a personal assistant every day,” noted Brown. She uses it for everything from drafting and editing to helping her manage project timelines. For content creation, the Times has used AI to help generate unique print and digital covers and illustrations, and even come up with the headlines and titles for key audience initiatives like Pedals for Resilience, their tribute to the history of Black cyclists. The team also used AI to create a more engaging, interactive experience for audiences who attended the in-person Pedals for Resilience installation.
Artificial intelligence has also been important to the Times in deepening the value of its coverage of health issues important to the Black community. Brown has used AI partners to automate and create audio versions of the Times’ health stories, and to enable listeners to choose both the avatar and ‘voice’ of who reads the stories to them. This innovative use of AI expands the reach of the Baltimore Times’ reporting to audiences where literacy may be a barrier; and having a choice of voice and tone better represents the community the Times serves.
Through her ongoing willingness to experiment with AI tools, Brown has modeled what innovative local news leadership looks like.
Brown had this to say about being named an LMA Innovator of the Year:
“Local Media Association, thank you for recognizing me as Digital Innovator of the Year. I am honored that the work at The Baltimore Times is being acknowledged. Our small size and agility enable our team to lead iteratively, seeking new ways to inform, empower, celebrate and engage our audience, while securing the revenue we need to stay relevant. In today’s digital news landscape, this nimbleness has allowed us to pilot, pivot and refine cutting-edge news products rapidly. Innovation has been in our DNA since we launched with a mission to spotlight positive stories about Black America when others overlooked them almost 40 years ago. I am building on that foundation in ways that are both necessary and timely for our continued survival. By forging strong partnerships, enhancing our tech stack and harnessing AI, I believe The Baltimore Times can amplify its impact, scale operations and build capacity beyond what our size alone would allow. This blend of collaboration, creativity and smart technology is not just our survival strategy—it is our formula for thriving well into the future.”
About Paris Brown:
Paris M. Brown, Publisher of The Baltimore Times, brings a wealth of experience spanning three decades in business development and marketing to her leadership role. As the steward of a publication approaching its 40th anniversary, Brown has skillfully guided the organization through a digital transformation while staying true to its founding mission of promoting positive community stories that improve readers’ quality of life.
Under Brown’s leadership over the past four years, The Baltimore Times has embraced a digital-first approach that has significantly increased digital revenue through targeted campaigns and innovative revenue models. Her forward-thinking strategy positions the publication at the cutting edge of media technology, incorporating: artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance content creation, distribution and audience analysis; virtual reality (VR) experiences that transport readers into immersive storytelling environments; augmented reality (AR) features that bring print content to life through interactive digital elements.
Brown’s leadership philosophy centers on deep community partnerships that highlight The Baltimore Times’ commitment to community involvement, giving voice to untold stories through the publication’s platforms. Initiatives under her leadership embody her innovative approach to community engagement, including:
· Best of Black Baltimore: With local corporate support, launched the first city-wide celebration of Black businesses that gives voice to the community residents through its digital voting campaign that recognizes local Black businesses and their community impact.
· Creatively Black Baltimore: In partnership with renowned artist Larry Poncho Brown, co-created the region’s largest pop-up exhibition of Black art, showcasing local talent and cultural expression, drawing national and international media attention, creating a local tourist destination and expanding The Baltimore Times’s audience to include the creative community audience.
· Maryland Cycling Classics Pedals of Resilience pop-up exhibition: A celebration of Black cyclists using technology: In partnership with Sports & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland and local technology companies, created immersive, interactive content celebrating America’s Black cyclists for the first time in the United States.
· Positioning The Baltimore Times as official print media for Baltimore city-wide Featured publications, celebrating Baltimore local events, arts, history, and culture.
· Transformation of newspaper boxes into promotional billboards, reimagining traditional media infrastructure.
These initiatives reflect Brown’s commitment to fostering meaningful relationships between The Baltimore Times and the communities it serves, creating collaborative opportunities that benefit all stakeholders.
Brown has established herself as a thought leader in the integration of emerging technologies in journalism, particularly for community-focused publications. Her expertise is regularly sought at industry events on artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in local community newsrooms.
Through her multifaceted leadership approach, Paris M. Brown continues to honor The Baltimore Times’ legacy of inspiring, empowering and informing the local community while boldly leading the publication into a future defined by technological innovation and deep community engagement.
Brown’s influence extends beyond The Baltimore Times through her service on multiple industry boards, including Vice Chair, Mid-Atlantic Community Publisher Association; Board of Directors, Local Media Consortium; National Marketing Committee, National Newspaper Publishers Association; and locally, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Greater Baltimore Urban League.
Paris Brown is an alum of Howard University, a graduate of both the New York School of Interior Design and Bernard Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY) and is enrolled in the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership (Class of 2025).