The unions representing Skagit Valley Herald (WA), Anacortes American (WA), Stanwood Camano News (WA), Bozeman Daily Chronicle (MT), and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (WY) are currently in bargaining against Adams MultiMedia. Currently management is demanding the union give them the right to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) without editorial oversight.

As unionized journalists, we understand that the value of journalism lies in the labor behind it: reporting, verifying, contextualizing, and being accountable to the public. News isn’t just words arranged into paragraphs—it’s the product of relationships with sources, time spent in communities, and professional judgment developed over years of practice. When media companies turn to AI to generate news content, they attempt to replace that labor with automation. What gets lost is the very thing that makes journalism trustworthy: human reporters who are responsible for what they publish.

AI cannot interact with community members the way our reporters do. AI cannot tell original stories. AI cannot create accurate stories.

One of Adams’ most recent contract proposal to our unions included the line:

“There is no limitation on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the Employer with respect to any newsroom function, including the generation of news content.”

We've seen many instances of how inaccurate, embarrassing and sometimes dangerous AI can be to the public and the reputation of our newspapers. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle was recently called out for using a column written entirely by AI on its front page. This was not a decision made by their reporters, yet it left a negative impact on the staff who work hard to bring local news to their community.

The use of AI in our newsrooms raises serious ethical concerns As union journalists, our stance is straightforward: technology should support the work of reporters, not replace them. The future of journalism depends on protecting the people who do the reporting.

Please support the workers and these newsrooms by letting Adams MultiMedia management know that you do not want unregulated AI Slop in your news.