A Little Dirt – Before AI
I’ve been the editor at Garden Culture Magazine for about eight years, a job I came across kind of by accident.
In what feels like a former life, I was a TV and radio news reporter and anchor; an exciting gig but a demanding and time-consuming one. After starting a family, I figured I was done with journalism for good.
Then the stars aligned; I met Celia and Eric, the owners of Garden Culture Magazine. They offered me freelance writing work and, eventually, my current position. Today, I generate and write content for our blog, write quite a bit of the material you’re reading on these pages, and edit the work of our incredible growers and writers.
Every new edition is a blank slate, and I am always learning about plants and growing techniques from our contributors. My own gardens have certainly benefited! Through the beautiful chaos of raising kids, my brain has stayed sharp thanks to creative freedom, countless expert interviews, and the challenge of weaving that information into stories our readers will enjoy. I’m proud of the work our small team accomplishes together, and I’m also very proud to say that Garden Culture Magazine’s content is written by real people with real experiences – never AI.
I’m about to sound older than my actual age, but I earned my degree in journalism and worked in the media at a time when you generated ideas and crafted a story in your own words. You talked to real people, verified information, and told a story using your brainpower. Call me old-school, but I believe there’s little room for Artificial Intelligence in journalism.
Sure, it can be an excellent tool for checking spelling and grammar, or organizing ideas and helping with research. But for me, that’s where it ends. It cannot become a substitute for journalism and human creativity; using it in this field risks losing trust, the ultimate sacrifice.
There’s a misconception that AI writes better than humans. Faster? Absolutely. Better? I don’t think so. I’ve seen material with repetitive, robotic patterns or articles that are factually incorrect and contradictory, lacking the details associated with first-hand experience. AI doesn’t conduct interviews with human beings or have any personal stories to share. But our writers do. I love reading the words of our contributors in their own voices, whether offering expert knowledge or the details of a breakthrough harvest or growing gaffe. Even if writing doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s why I’m here. Together, we’ll get your message across.
Garden Culture Magazine believes the best stories are still the ones about real experiences told by real people. We hope you connect with our growers and writers and learn something new along the way.
Cat
Visit our YouTube channel to watch our interviews with expert gardeners, hobby growers, incredible artists, and more!
