• by Melynda Fuller , June 27, 2019

The AP, with assistance from Google News Initiative, is working on a new tool to connect local newsrooms across New York State. 

The pilot project, called the Local News Sharing Network, will improve the way news organization collaborate through an online platform that allows members to share coverage plans and journalism.

The effort is expected to be ready in early 2020. The goal is to take it nationwide.

In New York State, nearly two dozen AP members will participate, including The Daily Freeman, The Observer Dispatch, The Times Union, WFUV, WRNN and the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

"With newsroom staffs already stretched thin, it's critically important for outlets to work together to keep communities abreast of critical issues and goings-on,” said WFUV news director George Bodarky.

“This effort is a great first step to foster collaboration among news outlets to ensure residents of New York state have the information they need to make informed decisions."

According to the AP, New York State was selected based on its membership, diverse geography and notable news volume.

The Local News Sharing Network comes as newsrooms nationwide look for ways to collaborate to bring quality journalism to communities as resources tighten.

Noreen Gillespie, AP deputy managing editor for U.S. news, stated that sharing coverage plans empowers members to be “more efficient in covering local news stories" at a critical time.

The launch of the Local News Sharing Network project follows the launch of The Compass Experiment, a collaboration between the Google News Initiative and McClatchy, earlier this year. That project will build and launch three digital-only local news sites. Mandy Jenkins was recently appointed to lead the three-year initiative.

"A key tenet of the Google News Initiative is to work together with publishers like the AP to foster a healthy and diverse news ecosystem," stated Nathalie Sajous, Google director of U.S. news and publishing partnerships.