Introduction
El Economista, a prominent Spanish-language financial newspaper, has been honored with the SIP (Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa) award for Digital Excellence 2025. The recognition was bestowed upon their innovative AI project, LANA (Laboratory for Automated News Analysis), during the 81st SIP Assembly in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
About LANA and Its Creators
LANA, led by Sandra Romero, Julio Oliva, Felipe Morales Fredes, Sonia Soto, and Gerardo Ramírez, is an AI-powered news assistant that leverages El Economista’s historical archive to deliver concise summaries and topic suggestions based on editorial guidelines. The system learns in real-time from a four-year archive of content related to Economy, Financial Sector, and Econohábitat.
Currently in its initial phase, LANA primarily supports the Financial Personalities section’s team. Its real-time learning from a comprehensive archive enables journalists to cover a broad spectrum of topics in their reporting.
Impact and Relevance
LANA’s development signifies a significant leap in digital journalism, enhancing El Economista’s capacity to deliver timely and relevant news. By automating the process of generating summaries and suggesting topics, LANA allows journalists to focus on in-depth analysis and reporting.
This AI assistant’s implementation reflects El Economista’s commitment to embracing technology for improved news delivery. The project’s success could potentially influence other media outlets to adopt similar AI-driven solutions, fostering a more efficient and data-centric journalistic approach.
SIP Awards 2025: Highlighting Excellence in Journalism
The SIP Awards ceremony also recognized several other outstanding journalists and media outlets for their exceptional work.
- El Universal (Mexico): Awarded the Prize for Current Affairs News Coverage for their in-depth investigation titled “Corredor Interoceánico: una historia de imposición, despojo y violencia,” which shed light on the social impacts of a mega-project in Mexico’s southeast.
- Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (Trinidad): Received the Migration Journalism Prize “Claudio Paolillo” for their powerful piece “Tricked into Sex Slavery,” exposing the dark side of human trafficking in the Caribbean.
- Raúl Zuleta (El Espectador, Colombia): Won the Caricature and Illustration Prize for his captivating work “Discurso de posesión,” inspired by Donald Trump’s inaugural speeches.
- Hugo Alconada Mon (La Nación, Argentina): Secured the Interview Prize for his insightful conversation with a notable figure in Argentine politics.
- Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró Quesada (El Comercio, Peru): Earned the Feature Story Prize for “Muerte en la plaza San Martín,” a gripping account of a tragic event in Lima.
- UOL (Brazil): Won the Photography Prize for their compelling series “Corpo de atleta,” capturing the dedication and resilience of Brazilian athletes.
- El País (Spain): Claimed the Video Prize for “El yugo talibán que asfixia a las mujeres en nombre de Alá,” an eye-opening documentary on the oppression of women under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
- Agencia Pública de Jornalismo Investigativo (Brazil): Obtained the Data Journalism and Infographics Prize for “Projeto Escravizadores,” a groundbreaking investigation into modern-day slavery.
- Univision Noticias Digital (United States): Won the In-Depth Reporting Prize for “Campo Tóxico,” an extensive examination of pesticide exposure in rural communities.
- Canadian Geographic (Canada): Received recognition for their environmental reporting “Our peace is out there,” highlighting the importance of preserving global ecosystems.
- Universidad Diego Portales (Chile): Students were honored for their investigative piece “Escape en la oscuridad,” demonstrating the power of university journalism in uncovering critical issues.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is LANA? LANA (Laboratory for Automated News Analysis) is an AI-powered news assistant developed by El Economista that uses the newspaper’s historical archive to generate concise summaries and suggest topics based on editorial guidelines.
- Who are the creators of LANA? The project is led by Sandra Romero, Julio Oliva, Felipe Morales Fredes, Sonia Soto, and Gerardo Ramírez.
- What is the significance of El Economista winning the SIP award for LANA? This recognition highlights El Economista’s commitment to digital innovation and its potential influence on other media outlets to adopt similar AI-driven solutions.
- Who else was honored at the SIP Awards 2025? Various journalists and media outlets received accolades for their exceptional work in different categories, including current affairs news coverage, migration journalism, caricature and illustration, interviews, feature stories, photography, video, data journalism, in-depth reporting, environmental reporting, and university journalism.
