The case of the zombie newspaper in Southern Oregon

Almost every day, new articles are being posted to the website of the Southern Oregon newspaper Ashland Daily Tidings, founded in 1876. At least… that’s what it looks like. But here’s the thing: the newspaper closed down two years ago.   So what’s the deal with dailytidings.com? Why do all the articles posted there seem vaguely… familiar? And who are the reporters the website claims is writing them?   OPB managing news editor Ryan Haas has been trying to find out, and stumbled upon something unexpected. At the center of it all is artificial intelligence, and the hope that Ashland readers who once trusted the newspaper won’t notice the difference. For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.