Alt-Weeklies Are Publishing Loads of AI-Generated OnlyFans Clickbait

The once-iconic alt-weeklies are now publishing AI-generated clickbait about OnlyFans alongside their editorial content, marking a troubling trend in the decline of these publications.

AI-generated content masquerading as journalism: Several prominent U.S. alt-weekly newspapers, including the Village Voice, LA Weekly, and the Riverfront Times, are running search-engine-optimized listicles about porn performers that appear to be AI-generated:

• These listicles, which rank pornographic performers by various demographics, are presented as editorial content without any labels indicating they are advertisements or sponsored posts.
• AI detection startup Reality Defender scanned a sample of these posts and found a “high probability” that they contain AI-generated text, as evidenced by the generic and platitudinous writing style.

Layoffs and ownership changes precede the troubling trend: The appearance of these AI-generated listicles follows significant staff layoffs and ownership changes at the affected publications:

• LA Weekly laid off or offered buyouts to most of its staff in March 2024, while the Riverfront Times laid off its entire staff in May 2024 after being sold by its parent company to an unnamed buyer.
• The Village Voice’s sole remaining editorial staffer and LA Weekly’s former editor in chief both deny involvement in the creation of the OnlyFans-related content.

Mixing archival journalism with SEO porn slop: Former employees are disturbed by the juxtaposition of their archival work with the AI-generated OnlyFans listicles:

• The alt-weeklies’ websites now feature a mix of valuable archival journalistic work, ongoing contemporary reportage (in the case of the Village Voice), and the SEO-optimized porn content.
• Former Riverfront Times writer Danny Wicentowski likens the situation to “watching a loved home get devoured by vines, or left to rot.”

Broader implications for the future of journalism: The infiltration of AI-generated clickbait into once-respected alt-weeklies raises concerns about the state of the media industry and the potential for further erosion of journalistic integrity:

• The coordination of these efforts across multiple publications remains unclear, but it highlights a disturbing trend in which struggling media outlets turn to low-quality, AI-generated content to drive traffic and revenue.
• As more publications face financial pressures and staff reductions, the temptation to rely on AI-generated content may grow, potentially compromising the quality and credibility of journalism as a whole.
• This development underscores the need for media organizations to find sustainable business models that prioritize high-quality, human-generated content and maintain a clear separation between editorial and sponsored content.