The Zebra Press - GOOD News in Alexandria, VA

01/03/2026

Escape the ordinary, celebrate, and unwind at Jula's on the Potomac

01/03/2026

Using AI for Images Isn’t a Crime. It’s Local Journalism Keeping Pace.

By Mary Wadland, publisher of The Zebra Press

Recently, I used AI to generate a logo for a Live Music in Alexandria column. The art was bright and not intended to portray any actual performers or place but to serve as eye-candy to get fast-reading followers to stop and click to see the local artists performing at the local restaurants.

We received criticism for using AI.

Every new tool that changes how stories are told has sparked outrage before it became ordinary. The printing press. Photography. Radio. Television. The internet. Social media. Each innovation was met with the same fear: This will destroy real craft. This will cheapen art. This will replace humans.

And yet, here we are.

Today, artificial intelligence—specifically AI-generated images—is the latest target of attack. Some critics claim it’s unethical. Others suggest it’s theft. A few go so far as to say using AI images is a kind of moral failure.

For news organizations, especially small and local ones, that argument doesn’t hold up. In the case of my company, The Zebra Press, in Alexandria, Virginia, 99% of our stories are accompanied by original photos and artwork provided by our staff or members of the community.

But if we need a quick sidebar to show a graph of usage or need icons to represent topics, or to create a sales flyer or column logo, we are turning to AI.

A Lesson From Photography

When photography first became popular in the 19th century, portrait painters were furious. Understandably so. What took weeks of careful sitting, brushwork, and skill could suddenly be done in minutes with a camera.

“You are stealing my art,” many cried.

But photography didn’t eliminate painting. It expanded visual storytelling. Painters adapted. New styles emerged. Photography became its own discipline—used for journalism, documentation, and history in ways painting never could.

No one today accuses a newspaper of “cheating” because it prints a photograph instead of commissioning an oil portrait of a mayor.

AI images are a similar inflection point.

The Reality of Modern Newsrooms

News and events do not wait.

When a water main breaks, a storm hits, a road closes, or a community event changes at the last minute, a newsroom has minutes—not days—to publish. Local news organizations don’t have illustration budgets or staff artists on call 24/7. Often, there is no photo available at all.

AI allows us to create a clear, labeled, illustrative image—not to deceive, but to inform. It helps readers understand what’s happening right now.

The alternative is silence.

Illustration vs. Deception

This distinction matters.

Ethical journalism is not about rejecting tools—it’s about transparency and intent. An AI-generated image used as an illustration, clearly labeled as such, is no more dishonest than a stock photo, a graphic, or a hand-drawn rendering.

No one believes an AI image of a snowstorm is a literal photograph of that exact street corner at that exact second. It’s a visual shorthand—just like editorial cartoons, infographics, or artist renderings have always been.

What would be unethical is pretending an AI image is a real photograph when it is not. Responsible newsrooms don’t do that.

Moving With the Times Isn’t Optional

Local journalism is under extraordinary financial pressure. Shrinking staffs. Rising printing costs. Fewer photographers. More platforms to serve. More urgency than ever.

AI doesn’t replace journalists. It doesn’t replace photographers. It doesn’t replace artists.

It fills gaps—quickly, affordably, and responsibly—so communities stay informed.

Refusing to use modern tools doesn’t protect journalism. It weakens it.

The question isn’t whether AI should exist. It does.

The real question is whether news organizations will use it ethically, transparently, and in service of the public—or whether they’ll be shamed into falling behind while misinformation spreads faster than facts.

History shows us that progress always feels uncomfortable at first. But journalism has never been about nostalgia. It has always been about telling the story with the tools available at the moment the story needs to be told.

And sometimes, that moment is now.

(Editors Note: Editorial cartoon created by AI under direction of author)

01/03/2026

Here's some good newz! Taqueria Poblano Del Ray is opening on Tuesdays!

# newspaper

Alexandria, VA - After 25 years, Taqueria Poblano has lifted its embargo on Tuesday Tacos effective January 9 from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Now you’ll be

01/03/2026

Zebra's Publisher Mary Wadland weighs in on AI-generated images and community news.

ALEXANDRIA, VA - Every new tool that changes how stories are told has sparked outrage before it became ordinary. The printing press. Photography. Radio.

01/03/2026

The ball dropped, the calendar flipped, and Virginia quietly rolled out a stack of new laws on January 1. No jargon, no legalese — here’s the Zebra-style breakdown of what Alexandria residents should know in 2026.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The ball dropped, the calendar flipped, and Virginia quietly rolled out a stack of new laws on January 1. No jargon, no legalese —

01/03/2026

🎉📚Our Zebra Book Club is 5 Years Old today!! If you want to join, and follow along quietly or show up at the monthly dinner discussions, just go to Zebra Book Club and press JOIN!! We are currently taking nominations for the books to read in 2026–get involved!!

01/03/2026

Last Three Nights of Joy on the Avenue🎄🍸🎄
Closing for the Season On January 4🥂🍾🥂

01/02/2026

Is it really a "New Year" when last year is STILL in your carpets? You need HADEED!

Hadeed Carpet

01/02/2026

HaPpY New Year🥂🍾🥂
2026 Is the Semisesquicentennial of the United States of America!
Let’s Get This Party Started!!!!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

01/02/2026

The Capitol, New Year’s Day ~ 2026
Photo by Scott MacConomy

01/02/2026

🎵🎸LIVE MUSIC🎵🎸
Friday, January 2, 2025

From the folks at Alexandria Live—check here every Friday morning for the LIVE MUSIC lineup around town tonight, Friday, January 2, 2026:

Blackwall Hitch - Alexandria has Brandt Dunn on the calendar tonight! 9PM-Midnight (eclectic b-side covers/pop/rock)

The Farmhouse Tuscan in suburban Alexandria (Hilltop Center, Wegmans Plaza) has post-happy-hour-jams with Eric Selby! 6PM-9PM (acoustic)

Galactic Panther: gallery has Day 1 of the Moonlight Booking 2026 Kick-Off Party with *six* bands! Please check their page for ticket links and more info! 6PM

The Light Horse has Practically Einstein playing tonight! 9:30PM (indie/alt rock)

Lost Boy Cider has David Guy playing in the tasting room tonight! 7PM-9PM (acoustic)

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant haa live music on Fridays! Visit their page for more info. 10PM

Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub, Old Town has Pat Carroll downstairs (acoustic) and Tyler Goldstein Trio upstairs - stay all night! 9PM start

O'Shaughnessys Pub & Stage Door Deli has Kingpin tonight! 9PM (blues/rock/jazz)

219 Restaurant has Sol Roots playing upstairs tonight! 9PM-1AM (raw funk, deep blues, energetic rock)

The Study at Morrison House has live piano music every Friday from 6PM-9PM.

Be safe, have FUN, thank you for supporting the rooms in our town that bring these acts in! Please contact each venue directly with any questions. IF YOUR VENUE IS NOT LISTED, contact or leave a comment.




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