Please be careful about fake “local news” pages
We want to make our community aware of a growing concern: AI-generated websites and Facebook pages are popping up that appear to be local news or community information sources, but many contain errors, misleading posts, copied content, or information that is not verified.
These pages may look legitimate at first glance. They may use local town names, community photos, breaking-news-style headlines, or posts designed to get quick reactions. But too often, their real goal is not to serve the community. Their goal is to build followers, collect email addresses, generate clicks, and make money from traffic.
Why that matters.
Real local publishers and content creators live here, work here, answer to the community, verify information, correct mistakes, attend meetings, support local businesses, and care about the people behind the stories. AI pages and fake “local” sites do not have that same accountability. They can spread confusion quickly, damage reputations, and take attention away from legitimate local journalism.
Before you follow, share, subscribe, or give your email address to a page claiming to be a local source, please take a moment to check:
Does the page list real local people behind it?
Does it have a physical connection to the community?
Are there bylines, contact information, and accountability?
Is the information original and verified?
Does the page correct mistakes when they happen?
AI can be a useful tool, but pretending to be a trusted local news source while spreading errors and harvesting followers is not community service. It is exploitation.
We appreciate every reader, advertiser, subscriber, and follower who supports legitimate local media. Your support helps keep real community reporting alive. Please be careful about what you share, question pages that seem suspicious, and continue supporting the people and businesses who are truly invested in our community.
Local journalism matters. Local accountability matters. And our community deserves better than fake news pages chasing clicks.
A note about AI
Our communities deserve real people, real responsibility, and trusted local information.
AI can assist. It should not deceive.
The problem is not using AI as a tool. The problem is using AI to impersonate local news, mislead readers, copy content, spread errors, or collect followers and email addresses without real community accountability.
AI can be a helpful tool when used responsibly and transparently. In fact, AI helped create the graphics for this post — but it took its direction from a real person. It did not decide the message, understand our community, verify local information, or stand behind the words. We did.
We are not anti-AI. We are pro-accountability.
WEDO Media, Inc.
Kelly Caldwell and Leisel Caldwell
