McClatchy Media is facing mounting scrutiny over its use of artificial intelligence after reports emerged that stories generated or rewritten by the company’s AI tools were appearing under journalists’ real bylines. According to Newsbytes, the publisher has been using a Claude-based system known internally as the content scaling agent to create summaries and tailored versions of articles, a practice that has unsettled staff at several newsrooms.

Union leaders at papers including the Miami Herald and the Sacramento Bee say the rollout may have breached agreements that require management to notify them before introducing major technological changes. At unionised outlets in the McClatchy group, the issue has sharpened concerns that AI is being used not merely as an editorial aid but to repurpose reporters’ work without their direct involvement.

Reporting from MediaCopilot and other outlets suggests the dispute is already shaping contract talks, with the Washington State NewsGuild seeking explicit limits on how AI can be used in McClatchy newsrooms. Reporters in the Northwest said they first noticed the practice when their own work appeared to be turned into AI-generated list-style roundups without their knowledge or consent. Union proposals reportedly aim to ensure that any AI-produced material is clearly overseen by humans and cannot replace core newsroom functions such as reporting or newsgathering.

The byline question has become especially sensitive. One reported example at a non-union paper carried the line "Reporting by [author redacted]. Produced with AI assistance," underscoring the confusion over authorship and accountability. An executive was quoted as saying journalists’ names would stay on stories unless contracts specifically allow them to remove their byline, a stance that has intensified complaints from staff who say the practice weakens trust with readers. McClatchy has not publicly set out its position, leaving the company to face criticism over transparency just as newsrooms across the group try to define firm guardrails for AI use.

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Source: Noah Wire Services