• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 25, 2024

The SF Chronicle is leaning into audio in a way that will open up a new form of reader engagement, it says. 

Most articles on the San Francisco paper’s website will be offered now as audio stories, to be read by an automated, human-like voice created by Everlit. 

As part of this, the Chronicle will regularly update its pronunciation library in Everlit.

“We are excited to take advantage of improvements in this technology that allow us to offer this new way for folks to consume our journalism,” says Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor in chief of the Chronicle. “And the benefits for our visually impaired readers will be huge.”

The advanced text-to-speech technology will allow readers to engage with Chronicle content during their commutes or while multitasking, the Chronicle reports. This will serve what the Chronicle says is a growing demographic of people who prefer audio experiences.

Here's one cautionary note: the service better be flawless, or it could even harm print consumption. And what about featured writers whose voices are familiar to readers—shouldn’t they be reading their own stories?

All that aside, readers can access the audio version of a given story in a rectangular box just below the headline.

Most stories on the Chronicle website will feature an audio version, but these will not be available in the Chronicle app, nor for some special projects, the Chronicle notes.