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Brian Timpone, Local Labs, 11 June

LocalLabs was founded in 2006 and has 25 employees and 100 contractors spread across four continents. It produces original local content like news, events, and business information for media companies and small businesses. LocalLabs also gathers and processes large local datasets to build the largest database of organizations, people, and places in North America. It powers this work through a proprietary technology and labor platform that uses data management systems and an algorithm-driven content production workflow.

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LocalLabs Fast Facts ● Founded in 2006 ● 25 employees and 100+ contractors on four continents ● Chicago-based, but largely virtual ● Formerly known as Journatic ● Tribune bought approx. 30 percent of business in 2012
LocalLabs is in the local information business ● We produce original local content ○ News briefs, editorial features, event listings/capsules, advertorials, web copy, press releases, customer testimonials ○ Clients: Local media companies, small businesses ● We gather/process/productize large local datasets ○ We’re building the largest local database of people-places- organizations in North America ○ Uses: Licensing, news development ● We power it all via a proprietary tech/labor platform ○ Platform includes data management systems, human content production workflow (“assembly line”), algorithm development, low- cost/distributed labor
“Modern manufacturing techniques” for editorial production 1. Current editorial production models are archaic and single-handedly dooming the prospects of legacy media companies. 2. News story production is important- but it isn’t a special case. It isn’t different than production of anything else in the world. Yet, it is produced very differently. 3. Long-term, this is more about management control than cost-cutting. Legacy media CEOs cannot direct their own products.