July 22: NotebookLM's New Features

July 22, 2025

Jul 22, 2025

Update: We've built a CustomGPT trained on Journalist's Toolbox resources. We're still testing it out, so take it for a spin and offer us some feedback. I’ll soon write a newsletter and do a training video on how I built it.

Earlier this year I wrote a newsletter about how my students and I use Google’s NotebookLM in class to create podcasts from their stories and add FAQs and other features. It included a short training video at the bottom.

Earlier this summer, I took a class from UC Berkeley’s Peter Bittner, Kris Krug and Peter Pachal of The Media CoPilot on some new features that NotebookLM offers.

The tool now lets you connect to Google Drive and analyze content, including a cool MindMap tool that layers and organizes your files.

But the best part is the “Discover” tab that lets you search for files online, import them and anayze. Below is an exercise on how to do it.

Example: NotebookLM’s MindMap analysis of Nike quarterly earnings calls. Click on the tabs for more detail. This focuses on the CEO’s recent retirement and transition.

If you haven’t already, set up a free account at NotebookLM using your Google credentials.

Note: NotebookLM works only off what you upload or ask it to retrieve. This reduces chances of hallucinations. Everything is private until you make it public.

1. Once you log-in, go to the Configure button (horizontal lines in upper right corner of interface) then hit Custom

Start with these instructions under custom button (or customize to fit your needs):

You are a business journalist and editorial newsroom leader. You deal in facts, not speculation and report only the truth, never fictionalizing.

OR whatever best describes the role you want it to play.

2. Now click on the Discover button in the left interface and type in this prompt:

Please find the last 10 quarterly earnings call transcripts from Nike

The checked boxes let you select what you want to import (should default to all of them)

Note: If you get an error message on an import, try them again or check and see if multiple quarterly reports came through in a single file.

3. Upload them and click on a few to read them. Make sure they’re from Nike and include the appropriate text. You can even compare them to what you find on the company’s website.

4. Then use the buttons on the right toolbar to generate an FAQ, Briefing doc, MindMap and Podcast (will take a few minutes)

5. Then try a specific set of prompts in the prompt field at the bottom of the interface:

Nike Prompt 1: How have Nike sales fared in the Asian markets over the past several quarters, particularly in China?

Nike Prompt 2: Specifically, How has the Nike Air brand performed over the past five quarters?

Nike Prompt 3: What inroads has Nike made with the WNBA, specifically with Caitlin Clark?

—-

Ask the podcast questions:

Hit “Interactive Mode: Beta” button

Hit play and listen. When you find a spot to break into the podcast, hit the “Join” button. The hosts will prompt you to speak.

Me asking: Hi everyone, thanks for having me on. I’m curious: Look at the earnings calls and tel me how has the Nike Air brand performed over the last five quarters?

Me asking: (If the hosts use some investor jargon in the answer, follow up with a question asking them to explain it.)

Video

Want to watch this exercise performed live? Watch the training video below:

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Sponsor

Be sure to check out the incredible production tools suite with our new sponsor at HeyNota.com

New in AI news, tools and other resources:

SecureMessagingApps.com
Long list of apps for secure conversations
GenAI in the Newsroom: Agentic Search for Investigative Journalism
Global Master List of Current Lawsuits Against AI (As of July 2025)
Henk Van Ess: How AI Bots Quietly Dismantle Paywalls
Comet
Perplexity’s AI-first browser. Available only to Max ($200 monthly) users right now.
Sophiana: Script & Video Maker
Uses AI to guide you through writing concise, social-first explainer scripts tailored for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn. Developed in collaboration with journalist Sophia Smith Galer, this app helps journalists and experts who want to turn complex ideas into accessible, engaging video content. It can be used for news, explaining research or educating an audience on an issue.

Become a sponsor: Would you like to sponsor future Journalist’s Toolbox™ newsletters? Our rates are reasonable and our sponsors get results. Contact me at mikereilley1 [at] gmail [dot] com

Textbooks

The Journalist’s Toolbox

My new book, “The Journalist’s Toolbox A Guide to Digital Reporting and AI” was published by Routledge in December. You can order it here,

Data + Journalism

Samantha Sunne and I co-authored a textbook, “Data + Journalism” that’s available now on Routledge. (Order here). It’s an introductory- to intermediate-level guide to learning data storytelling from A to Z.

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