Herald Sun fills local news gap with AI-written stories
Herald Sun is publishing council stories written by AI, six years after News Corp shut 20 regional papers.
The Herald Sun has started publishing local news stories with AI help. Publishing AI-written stories marks a shift in how News Corp covers Victorian communities.
The stories draw from council meeting minutes in areas like Moonee Valley and Monash. The articles include AI-made images with a note saying AI was used.
A Herald Sun spokeswoman said the company is exploring ways to cover areas with less news coverage. No journalist jobs will be cut, she said.
News Corp shut down 20 Leader-brand papers in 2020 and laid off local newsroom staff over the following years. In 2024, News Corp agreed a US$250 million deal with OpenAI.
Last year it launched NewsGPT to help journalists write and summarise stories.
- 20
- Regional papers closed
- US$250 million
- OpenAI deal value
- Moonee Valley, Monash
- Areas covered
Why it mattersAI is replacing human reporters to cover areas where papers were shut, raising questions about what local accountability looks like without human journalists on the ground.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au
