Finding Solutions for Local News with Razmig Hovaghimian

TL;DR

Hoodline uses data signals and automated stories to fill the gaps in local news, combining editorial collaboration to produce deeper, more journalistic content.

Transcript

hi hi Resnick hi one attempt your surname you gonna try I know okay hole buggy okay Oh forgive me yes I think I was 10 when I learned it okay thanks for thanks for joining us today for having me so hood line why don't you tell us what's going on over at headline tell us a little bit so a little bit of the genesis of the headline story in 2016 I was... Read More

Key Insights

• 📰 Hoodline's automated approach to local news helps fill the gaps in news deserts and provides more coverage to underrepresented communities.
• 👻 The company's data-driven approach allows for faster and more cost-effective news production, enabling newsrooms to focus on more journalistic reporting.
• ❓ Hoodline's syndication model and recommendation product offer revenue opportunities for struggling local publishers.
• 🎮 Expanding into video content and incorporating crowd-sourced data can further enhance the company's coverage and engagement with local communities.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Hoodline use data signals to create automated local news stories?

Hoodline collects a vast amount of data signals, analyzes them, and uses editorial templates to turn them into automated local news stories. Editors collaborate to set the templates and validate the accuracy of the stories.

Q: Is Hoodline killing off local news with its automated approach?

Hoodline does not believe it is killing off local news. Instead, it aims to fill the gaps in local news coverage by amplifying signals and providing data sets to newsrooms to create deeper, more journalistic stories.

Q: How does Hoodline monetize its content?

Hoodline monetizes its content through syndication, offering free feeds of its content to media organizations and sharing revenue through ad placements or affiliate links. It also offers a recommendation product that allows publishers to feature content modules with ads.

Q: How does Hoodline plan to expand and improve its coverage?

Hoodline aims to expand its coverage by incorporating more video content and utilizing crowd-sourced data. It also plans to personalize algorithms to recommend better stories at a more hyper-local level. The company is also exploring partnerships with major platforms like Google and Facebook to reach broader audiences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hoodline was founded as Pixel Labs in 2016 to merge with the San Francisco local news site Hoodline, producing local content from data signals.

• The company takes 250 terabytes of data each month to identify signals and write automated stories, focusing on news deserts and filling gaps in local news coverage.

• Hoodline combines data, editorial templates, and editorial collaboration to provide a combination of automated and more journalistic coverage of local news.