Another phony story. But (surprise!) some people still trust the media.

The seemingly legitimate news article, which several people sent to me and was shared on social media by many more, carried a stunning headline: “The Ghost Paper That Ate Alabama: How a Media Startup Killed 47 Weekly Newspapers and No One Noticed.”Too bad this must-read story turned out to be the most inaccurate AI-generated reporting of all time.The untrue June 25 article about a (non-existent) Alabama media company that bought and closed 47 weekly newspapers in the state two years ago was removed from the website of “The Editorial” a few days later. An editor’s note said it was removed due to concerns about “fabricated specifics not supported by sources.” Now, the entire website has disappeared.“I looked around at the reaction and saw people taking it (the article) seriously,” said Alec Etheredge, publisher of The Shelby County Reporter, one of the weeklies that supposedly was purchased, revamped with AI stories in place of reporters and then closed after readers and advertisers…