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Artificial intelligence is here — and it’s powerful. From recommending what to watch to helping draft messages or organizing your calendar, AI is becoming part of everyday life. Used responsibly, it can be a helpful tool. But when misused, AI can also be dangerous — especially when it misappropriates local news content without attribution, compensation or context.

A recent Nieman Lab investigation uncovered a sprawling network of AI-generated newsletters run by a single individual and published in more than 350 towns across 47 states. These newsletters repackage local news content — often lifted directly from trusted community newspapers — without permission, without credit and without paying a dime to the journalists who did the work.
The sites are designed to look like genuine local news sources, complete with familiar hometown branding and “about us” pages. But in reality, they rely on recycled testimonials, automated content and no local presence at all. Even more concerning, there is no disclosure that the content is generated or curated by AI — leaving readers unaware that what they’re reading may not come from a local newsroom at all. That’s not just misleading — it’s harmful.
We’ve seen this before. Big Tech platforms built massive businesses using content created by local newspapers, often without fair compensation. The reporting was done by the local newspapers, but Big Tech took the content and repurposed it as an additional way of attracting eyeballs, with none of the money flowing to the local news media.
The result?
Advertising dollars dried up, newsrooms shrank and communities lost critical coverage. The rise of AI scraping mirrors that same playbook. And this time, we can’t afford to let it happen again.
Local newspapers are not just another media outlet — they are the most trusted source of news in America. According to the Trust in Media study by America’s Newspapers and Coda Ventures, local newspapers outperform national outlets, television and social media on every trust measure. Readers consistently cite local papers as more transparent, more ethical and more invested in their communities.
The numbers speak for themselves: 80% of Americans believe it’s important to have a local newspaper. Nearly three in four say their community would suffer without one. And they’re right. Local journalists consistently earn high marks for covering what matters — from school board decisions and city council meetings to local sports and events that bring neighbors together.
Americans rely on local newspapers because they deliver facts, fairness and accountability. That trust wasn’t generated by an algorithm — it was earned by reporters who live and work in the communities they serve.
The best way to protect your local newspaper? Support it. Subscribe. Advertise. And back the businesses that do.
Because what’s at stake isn’t just the news — it’s the presence of professional, community-based journalists covering the stories that matter most.
For more information about the America’s Newspapers Trust in Media study, visit: https://member.newspapers.org/trust-in-media.html

Dean Ridings is CEO of America’s Newspapers, of which The Stanly News & Press is a member. On behalf of its approximately 1,700 newspaper and Solutions Partner companies, America’s Newspapers is committed to explaining, defending and advancing the vital role of newspapers in democracy and civil life. Learn more: newspapers.org. Contact Dean Ridings at dridings@newspapers.org.