McClatchy media publishing AI-written articles under journalists' real bylines
McClatchy Media is catching heat after reports revealed it's been publishing AI-generated news stories under actual journalists' names.
The company uses a Claude-based AI tool, the content scaling agent (CSA), to write summaries and audience-specific versions that get published with real bylines, even if the journalist didn't write a word.
Unions say McClatchy broke notification agreements
Journalists' unions at places like the Miami Herald and Sacramento Bee say this move breaks agreements requiring unions to be notified before major technological changes.
At one non-union paper, the byline read "Reporting by [author redacted]. Produced with AI assistance," which has only added to the debate.
One executive reportedly said names will stay on unless contracts give journalists the ability to remove their byline.
So far, McClatchy hasn't responded or explained its side, leaving questions about transparency and trust in newsrooms.