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AI in Journalism

Beloved Local Newspapers Fired Staffers, Then Started Running AI Slop

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In 2024, The Village Voice, LA Weekly and Riverfront Times carried large batches of OnlyFans-focused listicles beside their journalism. The writing often looked machine-generated, but the reporting did not establish who produced the articles, whether AI was used, or that layoffs caused the change. Former and current newsroom figures said their editorial teams were not responsible.

What The Village Voice, LA Weekly and Riverfront Times published

Futurism reported that The Village Voice and LA Weekly had added OnlyFans categories containing hundreds of listicles about performers. The pages appeared alongside ordinary editorial work and, according to the report, did not disclose that they were AI-generated or advertising. WIRED’s August 1, 2024 account described similar material on Riverfront Times.

The posts used bylines including Daniela LaFave and, at Riverfront Times, “RFT staff.” WIRED reported that LaFave confirmed she was the person named in the bylines but declined to say whether she used AI. That confirms the byline’s identity, not authorship of every article or the use of a particular writing system.

WIRED said the prose showed signs associated with AI writing, while also allowing that some pieces might have been written by human freelancers. Its reporting did not confirm how any specific article was produced. “AI slop” is therefore a description of the apparent quality and publishing pattern, not a verified production method.

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What newsroom staff said

The Village Voice

Futurism quoted R.C. Baker, described in its July 31, 2024 report as The Village Voice’s only remaining editorial staffer: “I handle only news and cultural reporting out of New York City. I have nothing to do with OnlyFans. That content is handled by a separate team that is based, I believe, in LA.”

His statement indicates that the material was outside his assignment and that he understood a separate Los Angeles-based team to be involved. It does not identify the team’s employer, editor or commissioning process.

LA Weekly

Darrick Rainey, then LA Weekly editor-in-chief, told Futurism: “We weren’t happy about it at all, and we were absolutely not involved in putting it up.” That is a statement about his newsroom’s involvement; it does not establish who did publish the pages.

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Riverfront Times

WIRED reported that Riverfront Times used the byline “RFT staff” on some posts. The available account does not identify an individual editor or vendor who commissioned the work.

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How the layoffs fit the timeline

The staffing cuts were real and preceded some of the publishing changes, but chronology is not proof of causation.

Publication Reported staffing event OnlyFans material and labeling What newsroom statements establish
The Village Voice Futurism described R.C. Baker as the only remaining editorial staffer at the time of its July 31, 2024 report. OnlyFans listicles appeared in a category alongside editorial material; Futurism said the pages lacked AI or advertising disclosure. Baker said the work was handled by a separate team he believed was based in Los Angeles.
LA Weekly WIRED reported that most staff were dismissed or offered buyouts in March 2024. OnlyFans listicles appeared on the site, according to Futurism and WIRED. Editor-in-chief Darrick Rainey said his team was not involved and was unhappy about the material.
Riverfront Times WIRED reported that the entire staff was dismissed in May 2024 after the publication was sold. Similar listicles appeared with signs of AI-style writing and bylines including “RFT staff.” The reporting did not confirm who produced or managed the articles.

Neither source demonstrated that layoffs directly caused the listicles, that editorial employees were replaced by AI, or that one person directed all three sites.

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Who was behind the OnlyFans articles?

The answer remained unresolved in the reporting. WIRED said it was unclear whether a single operation or several unrelated initiatives coordinated the pages. The sites’ bylines and the comments from newsroom staff show a separation between the publications’ recognized editorial teams and the new material, but they do not reveal the commissioning chain.

WIRED identified two possible commercial motives: attracting search traffic and advertising revenue, or accepting money from promoted accounts or their representatives. Those were possibilities, not findings. The presence of links to creator accounts does not prove that a creator, representative or platform paid for publication.

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OnlyFans spokesperson Brixie told WIRED, in an English rendering of the Spanish-language report: “OnlyFans has no financial agreements with these outlets.” The Street Media owner did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. Former Riverfront Times owner Chris Keating said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from naming the buyer. None of those facts establishes who funded or operated the content.

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Why the pages mattered to readers

They blurred editorial and promotional material

The listicles appeared within recognizable local-news brands, next to journalism, without the disclosures Futurism said readers would expect for AI-generated or advertising content. A reader could therefore mistake search-oriented promotional pages for reported work, even when the newsroom disclaimed involvement.

They exploited trust built by local publications

The Village Voice, LA Weekly and Riverfront Times had established identities as alt-weekly publications. Publishing a large volume of unrelated celebrity or creator lists under those domains could capture the authority and search visibility associated with those names, regardless of whether the material met the publications’ editorial standards.

They made accountability difficult

“Daniela LaFave” and “RFT staff” identify bylines, but a byline alone does not show who assigned, edited, paid for or uploaded a story. The reported staff cuts further complicated readers’ ability to determine which journalists, if any, stood behind the pages.

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What is established—and what is not

  • Established: multiple alt-weekly websites carried substantial OnlyFans-focused listicle content in 2024.
  • Established: the pages appeared alongside journalistic material, and Futurism reported that they lacked clear AI or advertising disclosure.
  • Established: LA Weekly and Riverfront Times experienced major staff reductions earlier in 2024, according to WIRED.
  • Not established: that every article was written by AI.
  • Not established: that layoffs caused the publishing strategy or that AI directly replaced dismissed journalists.
  • Not established: who commissioned the work, whether all three sites shared a vendor, or whether any creator paid for placement.
  • Not established: the publications’ current ownership, staffing or site contents; the reports describe a 2024 episode.

What the episode says about digital publishing

The case illustrates a risk created when a recognizable publication domain is used to publish high-volume material outside the knowledge of its remaining newsroom. Search traffic can be pursued without the reporting, editing and disclosure practices readers associate with a newspaper. When ownership, staffing and production arrangements are opaque, even a clearly labeled byline may tell readers little about responsibility.

It also shows why apparent AI style is not enough to establish AI authorship. Reliable attribution requires documentation of the production process, statements from the people who commissioned or wrote the work, or other verifiable evidence. The 2024 reporting did not provide that proof.

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