News automation: The publishers’ stories

Problem solved: Because automated editorial content is created from verified, structured data, it can safely be automatically published – from reliable data comes reliable text. This reliability lies behind a number of values gained in the newsrooms of Advance Local who publish automated weather warnings. Advance Local VP Content Strategy Lamar Graham and Matt Dowling, Director of Breaking and Local News at NJ Advance Media explain how the newsrooms work with, and benefit from, the automated content.

Problem solved: With a local newsroom of only a few journalists, how do you create enough relevant content to attract and keep paying subscribers? That question is at the heart of a project around automated content at local media group Polaris Media in Norway. The starting point was obvious: real estate sales and local business had been top scoring topics or interest among readers for the past few years. Initial results are remarkable: every second to third automated article generates a subscription sale.

Problem solved: With limited newsroom resources, Fædrelandsvennen (FVN) in Norway decided to test automating real estate sales reporting in order to 1. free up reporter time and 2. create more relevant content, and thereby more reasons for readers to visit the site. The content sits behind a paywall, but the page views alone generated by these articles means the project breaks even. The conversions it drives is profit on top.

Problem solved: McClatchy identified gaps in the reporting – topics driving new audiences which the publisher didn't have the reporter power to cover. Robots were deployed for some of the bulk routine reporting of information topics like high school sports and real estate sales.

Problem solved: Local business was an underreported segment at Bergens Tidende, as reporters' time was focused on investigative journalism rather than breadth of reporting. With the Business bot automating company annual reports, the publisher can suddenly cover all industries. Bonus: the business coverage is a smash hit with subscribers.

Problem solved: A new group wide strategy for doubling the number of digital subscribers meant local media group NTM needed to create more value to drive engagement with readers. Robots in the newsroom are part of the solution.

Problem solved: Dutch regional publisher NDC will combine robot journalism and crowdsourcing to cover all 60,000 regional football matches in the first post-Covid season.

Problem solved: Gota Media publish automated stories about sports, real estate, company registrations and traffic in order to provide regular updates in all its local communities.

Problem solved: Automation has enabled creation of a Homes Sales section on the Bergens Tidende site, driving subs sales through geotagging.

Problem solved: Automated (road) traffic updates drive (site) traffic and automated ad impressions in southern Germany.