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Hyperlocal news site Outside.in targets publishers with new product launch

Posted: 26/06/09 By: Laura Oliver

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Outside.in, the hyperlocal news and information network, has launched a new service aimed at publishers in the US.

Outside.in for Publishers, which has been in development for the past year, will allow users to quickly create a mass amount of hyperlocal news pages, according to a post on the company's blog.

The product, which is currently in beta, will also allow targeted advertising and the post stated: "More pages, more content, more ads, less cost."

"We have always believed that there is a need for a platform that intelligently aggregates local media, organizes it by city, town, and neighborhood and allows it to easily be distributed across the web," said Mark Josephson, CEO of Outside.in, in the announcement.

"And we believe that now is the perfect time for a new model to emerge for local media."

As publishing tools become more ubiquitous and the number of local news and information sources increase, existing media need to use a model for local news that is more focused on aggregation, he added.

"But aggregation alone won't cut it (…) They must be able to curate. Local editors know their market best and every local publisher has a unique point of view and editorial voice. Each publisher needs to be able to start with a massive database of stories and sources and pick and choose only the ones that fit their mission," he added.

The service has been taken up by publishers and websites in more than 30 local markets, including news pages for Richmond.com and Fox6Now, according to the post.

In October last year the organisation confirmed plans to expand its hyperlocal network to the UK. The new product for publishers is currently only available in the US however, a statement confirmed.

"International expansion [for the Outside.in for Publishers product] is part of our long-term vision, but we're not quite there yet," it read.

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