Latest news with #MelissaBell
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hull man jailed for rape and other 'extreme abuse'
A man who subjected a woman to "extreme levels of violent abuse" over a four-week period has been jailed for 15 Huteson, 26, of Greylees Avenue, Hull, was convicted of rape, assault by penetration, assault causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating and coercive and controlling behaviour after a five-day trial at Hull Crown addition to his sentence, Huteson was handed a five-year extension on licence and put on the sex offenders register for had previously admitted charges of assault by beating, criminal damage and malicious communications. Speaking after the conclusion of the case on Friday, Det Con Melissa Bell, of Humberside Police, said: "Huteson is an extremely dangerous offender."[He} subjected a woman to extreme levels of violent abuse and controlling behaviours and continues to show no remorse for his crimes."I am reassured that he is now off our streets and in prison for a substantial number of years, unable to inflict such incomprehensible emotional and physical harm to anyone else."The detective also praised the victim for her "sheer bravery" in coming forward, and especially for having to "relive the trauma she endured throughout the trial". Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Chicago paper publishes AI-generated 'summer reading list' with books that don't exist
The Chicago Sun-Times admitted on Tuesday that it published an AI-generated list of books that don't exist for its summer reading list. On Sunday, the publication released a special 64-page section titled "Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer" which featured a list of 15 recommended books for summer. However, upon further look, it was found that 10 of the 15 books on the list were not real. One example included a book called "Nightshade Market" by Min Jin Lee, which was described as a "riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy" and follows "three women whose paths intersect in an illegal night market" exploring "class, gender and the shadow economies beneath prosperous societies." Lee herself confirmed on her X account on Tuesday that the book was not real. "I have not written and will not be writing a novel called 'Nightshade Market.' Thank you," Lee wrote. Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell remarked on the situation in an article on Tuesday, revealing that the mistake came from a freelance writer from one of their partner companies, King Features. Bell acknowledged that the list was published without review from the editorial team. "We are in a moment of great transformation in journalism and technology, and at the same time, our industry continues to be besieged by business challenges," Bell wrote. "This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it." Moving forward, Bell announced that the paper will be reviewing its relationship with content partners like King Features, updating its policies for third-party content and explicitly identifying third-party content in its publications. The Chicago Sun-Times also removed the section from its e-paper version and confirmed that it would not charge subscribers who bought the premium edition. "We are committed to making sure this never happens again. We know that there is work to be done to provide more answers and transparency around the production and publication of this section, and will share additional updates in the coming days," Bell said. In another report for the Chicago Sun-Times, the freelance writer was identified as Marco Buscaglia, who confirmed that he used AI for this and other stories without disclosing it to supervisors or fully vetting the results. King Features later added that it was "terminating" its relationship with Buscaglia, saying that he had violated strict policy regarding the use of AI. In an additional statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Chicago Public Media marketing director Victor Lim said, "Regarding Chicago Public Media's usage of generative AI, we are committed to producing journalism that is accurate, ethical, and deeply human. While GAI may assist with certain tasks—like summarizing documents or analyzing data—our editorial content will always be created and shaped by journalists."
7NEWS
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
A US newspaper just released its summer reading list. But the books don't exist
A US newspaper released its recommended reading list on Sunday, two weeks ahead of their summer starting. The problem? Most of the books don't exist. The Chicago Sun-Times confirmed on Tuesday that several of the titles had been generated by AI and don't actually exist. Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer, was created in part by a freelancer who works for a third-party company, according to the Sun-Times. 'To our great disappointment, that list was created through the use of an AI tool and recommended books that do not exist,' chief executive of Sun-Times owner Chicago Public Media Melissa Bell said in a statement. 'We are actively investigating the accuracy of other content in the special section.' The AI flub comes as industries like journalism fear that the rapidly developing technology could encroach on jobs formerly occupied by humans. The Sun-Times recently cut 20 per cent of its staff, according to Axios. While it has come a long way in recent years, AI is not a flawless technology and some iterations have been known to generate fictional or inaccurate information — an issue also called hallucinating. Some institutions have found uses for the growing technology, including the health care field, education and marketing. However, there is still much pushback from some consumers who are hesitant to trust AI. And like all forms of journalism, AI still requires fact-checking. While several of the books listed by the Sun-Times do not exist, the authors attributed with writing them do. There is no Tidewater Dreams, for example, but Isabel Allende is an acclaimed Chilean American writer. The Chicago author Rebecca Makkai is credited with the fake book Boiling Point. And author Min Jin Lee is listed as having written the nonexistent book NightShade Market. Toward the bottom of the list, some real books appear, such as André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name. Bell has also released a statement on the paper's website. She said the list came from distributor King Features, a company the paper regularly partners with for content. 'King Features worked with a freelancer who used an AI agent to help build out this special section,' she said. 'It was inserted into our paper without review from our editorial team, and we presented the section without any acknowledgement that it was from a third-party organisation.' At least one other paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, also used the third-party list including the AI-generated book titles. In a statement shared by the Sun-Times, a spokesperson for King Features said the company has 'a strict policy with our staff, cartoonists, columnists, and freelance writers against the use of AI to create content'. 'The Heat Index summer supplement was created by a freelance content creator who used AI in its story development without disclosing the use of AI. 'We are terminating our relationship with this individual. We regret this incident and are working with the handful of publishing partners who acquired this supplement.' The Sun-Times said it had removed the list from its digital publication, and the website had a banner on the homepage leading to Bell's statement as of Wednesday afternoon. The paper will now identify in print when content comes from a third-party distributor, and is currently reviewing its relationship with third-party contractors to ensure they meet the standards of the newsroom, it said.
NBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Chicago Sun-Times admits summer book guide included fake AI-generated titles
Those books that the Chicago Sun-Times recommended reading this summer? You can stop looking for them. The newspaper said Tuesday that several of the titles had been generated by AI and don't actually exist. 'Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer,' published on Sunday, was created in part by a freelancer who works for a third-party company, according to the Sun-Times. 'To our great disappointment, that list was created through the use of an AI tool and recommended books that do not exist,' Melissa Bell, chief executive of Chicago Public Media, which runs the newspaper, said in a statement. "We are actively investigating the accuracy of other content in the special section." The AI flub comes as industries like journalism fear that the rapidly developing technology could encroach on jobs formerly occupied by humans. The Sun-Times recently cut 20% of its staff, according to Axios. While it has come a long way in recent years, AI is not a flawless technology and some iterations have been known to generate fictional or inaccurate information — an issue also called hallucinating. Some institutions have found uses for the growing technology, including the health care field, education and marketing. However, there is still much pushback from some consumers who are hesitant to trust AI. And like all forms of journalism, AI still requires fact-checking. While several of the books listed by the Sun-Times do not exist, the authors attributed with writing them do. There is no 'Tidewater Dreams,' for example, but Isabel Allende is an acclaimed Chilean American writer. The Chicago author Rebecca Makkai is credited with the fake book 'Boiling Point.' And author Min Jin Lee is listed as having written the nonexistent book 'NightShade Market.' Toward the bottom of the list, some real books appear, such as André Aciman's 'Call Me By Your Name.' A spokesperson for the Sun-Times directed NBC News to Bell's statement on the paper's website. Bell said the list came from distributor King Features, a company the paper regularly partners with for content. 'King Features worked with a freelancer who used an AI agent to help build out this special section. It was inserted into our paper without review from our editorial team, and we presented the section without any acknowledgement that it was from a third-party organization,' she said. At least one other paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, also used the third-party list including the AI-generated book titles. In a statement shared by the Sun-Times, a spokesperson for King Features said the company has 'a strict policy with our staff, cartoonists, columnists, and freelance writers against the use of AI to create content. The Heat Index summer supplement was created by a freelance content creator who used AI in its story development without disclosing the use of AI. We are terminating our relationship with this individual. We regret this incident and are working with the handful of publishing partners who acquired this supplement.' The Sun-Times said it had removed the list from its digital publication, and the website had a banner on the homepage leading to Bell's statement as of Wednesday afternoon. The paper will now identify in print when content comes from a third-party distributor, and is currently reviewing its relationship with third-party contractors to ensure they meet the standards of the newsroom, the statement says.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Public Media's cost-cutting buyout reduces Sun-Times staff by 20%
The Chicago Sun-Times, which bills itself as the hardest-working newspaper in America, may have to work even harder after more than a fifth of its staffers took a buyout, heading off potential layoffs in a sweeping cost-cutting initiative by Chicago Public Media. Thirty Sun-Times employees, including 23 reporters and editors, will be voluntarily leaving the newspaper, which joined forces three years ago with NPR radio station WBEZ in a groundbreaking nonprofit media model. In addition, five business employees at WBEZ have also taken the buyout offer. Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell shared the news of 35 departing employees in a letter to supporters and members posted on the Sun-Times website Tuesday afternoon. 'Some people work behind the scenes, while others have recognizable bylines and specific areas of coverage,' Bell said. 'Each of them has played a vital role in shaping our organization into what it is today, and all are deeply valued. Their absence will be felt, but so will their legacy, and we are truly thankful for their contribution to public service through journalism.' A Chicago Public Media spokesperson Wednesday confirmed the 35 employees that took the voluntary separation offer included 15 members of the Sun-Times Guild and eight non-union journalists, along with 12 business-side employees across both the newspaper and radio station. The buyouts, along with other cost-saving measures, including 'leaving certain executive roles unfulfilled,' will create $4.2 million in annual savings for the nonprofit news organization, the spokesperson said. In a separate article, the Sun-Times detailed the buyouts and listed a number of the departing journalists, with a large chunk of the sports department leaving the newspaper, including columnists Rick Morrissey and Rick Telander, Bears beat writer Mark Potash and White Sox beat writer Daryl Van Schouwen. Among the more prominent employees taking the buyout, longtime film and TV critic Richard Roeper announced Wednesday that he will be leaving the Sun-Times after 37 years. His last day at the paper is Friday. 'I'm excited for the next chapter in my career, as I have no plans of retiring or even slowing down,' Roeper said in a news release. 'I will continue to review films and TV series every Friday on 'Windy City Weekend' on ABC-7 Chicago, and I'll keep recording new episodes of 'The Richard Roeper Show' podcast every week. I also intend to continue writing reviews regularly. See you at the movies.' Other well-known bylines that took the buyout include longtime columnist Michael Sneed and advice columnist Ismael Perez, according to the Sun-Times. All departing employees will receive severance and a cash bonus based on their tenure, according to Chicago Public Media. The payouts range from 10 weeks of salary and a $9,000 bonus for employees with less than five years to 24 weeks and $12,500 for those with 30 or more years on the job, the spokesperson said. Departures begin Friday, but will roll out over several weeks. 'It's a bittersweet moment knowing we've avoided layoffs,' Sun-Times Guild co-chair Mitch Armentrout said in a statement. 'But 15 beloved Guild members have taken buyouts, as have several non-union newsroom colleagues. This is the biggest hit to our newsroom in at least 12 years.' In 2013, the Sun-Times laid off its entire photography staff, which drew national attention and became symbolic of the headwinds facing the newspaper industry. Chicago Public Media announced the cost-savings plan in January, looking to shave $3 million to $5 million off the annual budget through the buyouts. In her letter, Bell said the buyouts met the goal, ostensibly avoiding any layoffs, at least for now. 'I am grateful to share with you now that we reached our cost reduction targets through voluntary departures,' Bell said. The Chicago Sun-Times merged with WBEZ-FM 91.5 in January 2022, backed by $61 million in initial philanthropic support. But the nonprofit combo has failed to realize the synergies envisioned by former CEO Matt Moog, who stepped down last year amid revenue shortfalls. Bell, who co-founded online news site took the helm at Chicago Public Media in September. At the start of the year, the Sun-Times had 144 employees, including 104 on the editorial side, while WBEZ had 134 employees, with 64 content creators, Chicago Public Media told the Tribune in January. The downsizing at the Sun-Times follows national trends that have seen dramatically reduced employment at local newspapers across the U.S. in the post-millennium digital media landscape. Since 2005, more than 266,000 newspaper jobs have been eliminated, a 73% decline, according to the 2024 State of Local News report by Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. The total includes the loss of more than 45,000 newsroom jobs, a 60% reduction over the past two decades, according to the study. Reducing the Sun-Times staff by 20% in one fell swoop, however, could presage a significant change in the content produced by Chicago's longtime No. 2 newspaper, which has struggled financially for years. Founded in 1948 by Marshall Field III, the Sun-Times has had a colorful history and a succession of owners, including media baron Rupert Murdoch, who bought it in 1984. Murdoch was forced to sell the Sun-Times in 1986 after acquiring WFLD-Ch. 32 because of Federal Communications Commission cross-ownership restrictions. In 2009, a group led by former Mesirow CEO Jim Tyree rescued the Sun-Times from bankruptcy, paying $5 million in cash and taking on $20 million in liabilities. Wrapports, a local investor group headed by tech entrepreneur Michael Ferro, stepped up after Tyree's death to buy the Sun-Times and 38 suburban newspapers for about $20 million in December 2011. In 2017, an investor group that included the Chicago Federation of Labor bought the money-losing Sun-Times and other assets from Wrapports for $1, after Tribune Publishing was thwarted in its own bid to buy the newspaper by Justice Department antitrust concerns. The Sun-Times has continued to bleed red ink since joining the nonprofit fold and faced a $12 million operating deficit this year, according to Chicago Public Media. While the shortfall was covered by philanthropic funding through 2026, downsizing at the Sun-Times is part of a strategy to eliminate the losses before the initial backing runs out. Chicago Sun-Times Media received nearly $11.2 million in contributions and grants for fiscal year 2024, which ended in June, according to the most recent Form 990 tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2024, operating revenue for the nonprofit newspaper was $27.9 million, a 6% year-over-year decline which landed the Sun-Times in the red by more than $1.1 million – despite the philanthropic contributions, the filing showed. In addition to the buyouts, the resignation of Moog, a Chicago tech entrepreneur who was elevated from interim to permanent CEO of Chicago Public Media in 2021, may help defray costs going forward. He received $722,861 in total compensation last year, according to the tax filing. Bell, who was named in June to replace Moog, pledged in her letter Tuesday to 'secure the future of independent journalism in Chicago' after stabilizing the organization through the buyout plan. At the same time, with the initial $61 million in philanthropic funding expiring, Bell wrote that she is looking to double the number of Chicago Public Media supporters and members over the next five years to help fill that void.
