• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 2, 2025

Gannett and Reuters are teaming up to bundle the types of content each does best, the firms announced on Thursday. 

The new offering will combine national and international coverage from Reuters with local news from the USA Today Network of more 200 newspapers. It will be available to media companies in the first quarter of 2025 via Reuters API.  

The goal of the USA Today Network I Reuters collaboration is to provide “a compelling local and global offering,” says Kristin Roberts, chief content officer at Gannett Media. “This bundle delivers a known market need, at a reasonable price that doesn't require a costly membership.” 

This could be useful for publishers lacking the resources to cover both local and international news. Some are unable to provide either. 

The bundle will include breaking news, entertainment, sports and lifestyle coverage. 

“In today's rapidly changing media landscape, local newsrooms are often faced with stretched resources,” says Alphonse Hardel, head of Reuters News Agency. “This synergy of two trusted brands provides a cost-effective solution that frees up valuable resources for local news outlets.”

It does not appear that news outlets can cherrypick the types of content they want: Gannett and Reuters say the coverage will be delivered in a single news feed.

It is also not clear how this product will differ from an old-fashioned wire service, or whether it will be broken out in a separate company at some point. But it sounds like a positive development for news deserts around the country. 

“Gannett has been empowering local newsrooms across the USA Today Network with our trusted content and journalism for decades,” Roberts states. “This collaboration gives other local bureaus and media companies access to reliable news and information, proven to drive digital audience, with an array of content from national politics and local breaking news to best-in-class sports and entertainment coverage.”