This is the end result of the Sun-Times gutting its arts and entertainment staff through layoffs and attrition - ThreadSky

imleor.bsky.social • 29 days ago

This is the end result of the Sun-Times gutting its arts and entertainment staff through layoffs and attrition

This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?

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meredithshiner.com•29 days ago

This is obviously a huge bummer at every level, especially because I find myself in a subscriber conundrum? Like I pretty much pay for access to every single Chicago outlet but I want my money to go to literal humans!! What do you do?

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

I get upset :/

facs100.bsky.social•29 days ago

Couldn't access the article online for some reason, trying to verify, but here's the same article from the Philly Inquirer from last Thursday.

plbsu.bsky.social•29 days ago

This tells me it's a pre-produced supplement/ad content piece, which is actually a bit of a relief (in that it likely wasn't produced by the Sun-Times nor did their editorial team have anything to do with it)

facs100.bsky.social•29 days ago

We could ask @marcobuscaglia.bsky.social
as his name is on 75% of the Philly Inquirer filler.

maskfairy.bsky.social•29 days ago

He’s admitted to it. There’s a 404 Media article about this already that quotes him saying that he should have checked that the books were real. Which… this is wild.

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

Usually such pieces have a label on them that says “sponsored content” or whatever. There’s nothing of the sort on the Sun-Times page; it looks like wire copy

plbsu.bsky.social•29 days ago

Newspapers have gotten verrrrry lax about labeling this type of content as such, unfortunately.

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

https://www.404media.co/chicago-sun-times-prints-ai-generated-summer-reading-list-with-books-that-dont-exist/

facs100.bsky.social•29 days ago

tbh...I'm glad that Marco Buscaglia is real and that he picked up the phone.

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

“Buscaglia said he did it as part of a “promotional special section” that is not supposed to be targeted to any specific city and is inserted into newspapers and other publications around the country.”

Bleak https://www.404media.co/chicago-sun-times-prints-ai-generated-summer-reading-list-with-books-that-dont-exist/

jmcunning.bsky.social•29 days ago

I'm still trying to understand what is being promoted. The AI-generated articles are all super-generic and don't seem to be touting any specific brands or products. The Sun-Times edition has only eight ads across the entire 64-page section, and all but two of them are house ads. What's the point?

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

It feels like a low-cost attempt to reach readers who would like to read a genuine and thoughtful summer/culture guide, yes there are only a few ads but apparently barely any oversight into what they published, so no labor and money wasted there

jmcunning.bsky.social•29 days ago

So it's a ploy to sell copies at the newsstand? "Inside: Your Summer 2025 Guide"?

stevenbfla.bsky.social•29 days ago

Yes, that's exactly what it is. And to make subscribers feel like they're getting something extra. Same goes with the puzzle supplements and some Sunday supplements.

It isn't advertorial just universal stuff. It's been going on for decades, but KFS began cutting costs years ago & it's catching up

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

Possibly! This is really where I’d love for ST management to talk about it.

jmcunning.bsky.social•29 days ago

Just saw that 404 Media published an update with quotes from a ST exec: https://www.404media.co/viral-ai-generated-summer-guide-printed-by-chicago-sun-times-was-made-by-magazine-giant-hearst/

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

Would love to know about the thought process behind running this and apparently not even doing a cursory check to make sure all the books exist

stevenbfla.bsky.social•29 days ago

A lot of this sort of "filler" is syndicated. The newspapers just add the PDF into their CMS and send it to the printer without ever looking.

Same goes for comics, games and advice columns. A lot of this stuff is labor intensive and not worth the union wages.

graveyard-jones.bsky.social•29 days ago

Thought process: money

aaroncynic.bsky.social•29 days ago

"We need content. Doesn't matter what it is just put something there."

musiclawyerkleeb.bsky.social•29 days ago

There was no “thought process” behind this whatsoever.

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

Lord https://bsky.app/profile/facs100.bsky.social/post/3lpma76dbts2k

imleor.bsky.social•29 days ago

Ok https://bsky.app/profile/chicago.suntimes.com/post/3lpmbre5edk2a

akatzel.bsky.social•29 days ago

I am desperately hoping to see letters to the editor (1) written by real people asking where to find these invented books and (2) written by AI effusively praising what a wonderful read these fictional books were.

yeasting.bsky.social•29 days ago

If only there were a major non-profit a few blocks away from the Sun-Times writing licensable, y'know, lists of books.

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