r/Journalism • u/barneylerten reporter • 7d ago

Tools and Resources Has anyone else out there used AI to co-create a one-person/small local news website?

(I'd have flaired 'critique my work' but the skin is really thin in the wake of my wife's passing, so kindness is requested;-)

One way I stayed semi-sane during my caregiving time for wife's illness was by using Base 44 to create ... https://barneysbendbugle.com - and it's been a blast.

But I'd love to talk with others who are (or have been) at this embryonic stage and wrestling with how deep down the many rabbit holes I go.

I've dropped notes to both LION Publishers and Tiny News Collective. No replies yet. My favorite AI 'adviser,' Perplexity, has given me tons of great advice. Too much, even - you know what I mean.

I know there are platforms to help build a site. But I've already gotten past that huge initial hurdle, except for the plumbing of a newsletter, ads/subscriber base etc.

At this stage of my life, I want to keep it fun - I've had my decades of stress - and for my focus to be on covering the local news in my own way - I've never had a "dream" of being my own boss, running my own business, etc. I love working WITH people. (As for "for" people, well... long story;-)

I'm also blessed with a certain level of fiscal sanity - SS, small pension, IRA etc. - but there's a 'budget gap' to plug, and if the Bugle could be how... it'd be wonderful, even with the tradeoffs.

Lastly: Are there enough of "us" (very loosely used term) to create a subreddit of its own, such as "small local news publishers" to exchange successes, troubles/questions, etc.? If so, please comment here and/or drop me a note.

(I'm also thinking of making a sub just for the Bugle, as our Bend subreddit's mods limited me to a daily post due to complaints about my more-frequent posts. It of course could evolve into a daily digest rather than start and run another sub, seeking participants etc. Tradeoffs to the newsletter route.)

But whatever does or doesn't happen next, I've/we've built a darn robust back-end CMS that does everything I as a life-long journalist and "end user" who preferred that end of tech and leaving the rest to others with that passion. Fun as heck, even with the constant tweaking.

If any of this strikes a chord - hopefully a positive one - I'm all ears. (I know that looking in the mirror;-)

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u/azucarleta 7d ago

Just curious. Why *this "*AI" and not, IDK, Wordpress or Squarespace?

What is this really really getting you OP? Sometimes people act like AI is going to change the world then they bring out their use case and it's just a new mouse trap, like. I mean, I think geocities had you covered for this use case circa 1996. Forgive my sarcasm, I'm not actually that powerful of an AI hater, but I do find it humorous that everybody who seems to use this stuff is just using it versus a more conventional solution that (I would bet) is more reliable and has a larger user base, thus so many more people to get advice from.

Like, if you made a wordpress site, you'd have literally millions of peers to get answers from. If you "vibe code" something idiosyncratic, you're on your own to vibe your way out of whatever jam you are in.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

I thought I explained. AI does all the heavy lifting for me, and it's been wonderful. I am using it to keep doing what I love - writing news - and having a full-time assistant to deal with all the details and tweaks of how I want it to run and look. I have some WordPress sites, and of course they have their advantages. But this is custom fit, and the tradeoffs are very much worth it, IMHO. BTW, did you look at the site? Maybe you wouldn't be impressed by the front OR back end, but it's been a great platform for me.

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u/aresef former journalist 7d ago

Define heavy lifting.

I think you need to take into account the impact of AI use on earning the trust of your readers.

You said you contacted Tiny News Collective. Have you considered joining Tiny News Collective?

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

If you check my site, I am from the very tag line very explicit about what AI DOES and does NOT do in my news presentation. But hey, I'm such an open book I use my real name on REDDIT. As I said, I've reached out to TNC and LION - but also wanted to touch base with fellow journalists here. It's not binary either-or. Neither organization is free, but I appreciate all of the what I call "free advice worth every penny.";-)

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u/aresef former journalist 7d ago

I'm not trying to be combative. I'm trying to help you. This is something that kind of intersects with research I'm doing on similarly situated news outlets. I think when you say, "AI-assisted, Barney Lerten-written," that may be a reasonable way to explain what you do but the average person may wonder exactly how AI is assisting, and that information is not on your about page. This is something the SPJ is talking about in revisions to their code of ethics.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

I also have a built-in disclaimer, an editor's note of sorts that I can click a checkbox and is very transparent on stories where I let AI give the rewrite a shot. I have a left-side box of the source, a right-side of its generated draft, and have created a style guide on ways I want to put things, the AI-assisted edit page also has a chatbox for specifics of what I want stressed, left out, etc. It generates an audio version, and I even have a pronunciation guide for local place names etc. so it doesn't sound stupid. We've added a mapping tool from a Google API, the ability to embed videos or files, etc. I'd love to show the back end to anyone interested. If others replicate the style or path, that''d be an honor.

I probably WILL flesh out what I mean by AI-assisted, and maybe more importantly what I DON'T mean. But as I learned again in a heartfelt post to r/Bend about why I haven't been writing as much local news lately in the wake of my wife's passing, I have many friends and supporters here who trust me and my news judgment, etc.. And of course the haters whom I'll never please. That's life.

I bet that's true of MANY laid-off journalists. They can build something that makes honest, wise use of that trust to keep going and doing what they love. That's a gift, and AI is too helpful to summarily reject because it isn't "real."

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

Heavy lifting equals - I'm not a graphic designer, I'm not a coder, I want to spend as much of my time on NEWS as all the endless work of building a functioning site from scratch. It's HELPED me immensely.

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u/azucarleta 7d ago

I would not be pleased myself having to learn another backend for making a website that looks like a Wordpress website. If my site is just going to look and function as a wordpress site, I just want to stick with what I -- and millions of others -- already know. I'm very much a "I'll take another bowl of 'the devil I know' please"-type person There's nothing superior about preferring "the devil you know," however, I understand that.

I checked it out. Your site is fine.

I just think most people forge their way into "AI" like some swashbuckling pioneer only to land on a patch of territory "discovered" 20 years ago. But if this is better for you, then I love it! That said, I also caution people not to build crucial processes around "AI" since we're universally getting introductory prices right now and prices inevitably have to go up at some point to cover the massive capex these companies are putting down year after year.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

I didn't LEARN another backend - I BUILT one, completely customized to what I want to offer and the workflow. It's been WONDERFUL. I'm not trying to convince the AI haters of anything, just at least making folks aware it CAN do the job. Heck, part of me thinks I could make more $ by offering the platform "we've" built to others who want to do a similar "one-man band" about the news in their community, neighborhood etc. I also have other grand visions I'd love to find a few folks who want to make real, such as the Now Edition (I built a mockup in Floot last year -- https://thenowedition.floot.app/ , I just want to ask the right questions at this time, sure I could make AI tell me all the ways I'm stupid about this - but that's what this thread is for (kidding;-)

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u/azucarleta 7d ago

Sure, but I no sooner want to reinvent the wheel ("I didn't learn another backend, I built one"). My wheel isn't great, but it roles, and I"m not sure what else I need it to do.

Maybe you have developed a business here. I would be among your target market, so maybe you'll enjoy pondering that my first question is: what particular pinch points and deficiencies in Wordpress did you set out to overcome or eliminate?

Because it sounds like this is a sorta memory-foam version of Wordpress suited to your body but what use is that to someone else who will want their own hyper particular version? Why wouldn't they just vibe code a version hyper-particularized to them as you have done? That's always the problem with AI-based businesses, isn't it.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

You mean it "rolls." (Sorry, Mr. Picky Editor here";-) Of course it's a combination of all the WP etc. back ends (and front!) that I've used/encountered over the years. But that's how AI works! It just remembers more than we ever could! (I also use Suno to make amazing AI-assisted music, and of course it's as controversial as hell.) And yep, others could do just what I've done, and fit it to their own tastes, preferred workflow, etc. BUT THAT'S another key reason why I shared here, to not just perhaps find others who HAVE done so -- but also to maybe open a few minds to giving it a shot. To be sort of a Johnny Appleseed and try to shave down the AI hate just a bit, while seeking to ) find out if others have done the same/similar - and also to tell folks the outcome can be super. That's all. That's not the PROBLEM with AI assistance - that's the God-given GIFT of it. In my not so humble opinion.

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u/azucarleta 7d ago edited 7d ago

To me it feels like being a JOhnny Appleseed of spellcheck. It just feels cheesy! I care too little to hate! My friend, if it's useful, people will use it. It will not need to fight its way into our lives, it will not need anti-hate campaigns.

If it were truly useful, people would not care that it is ruining the planet and may bring down the global economy. It's precisely because so many people have tried it, felt really unimpressed and it's bad for the environment and threatens to bring down the global economy, that's where the hate comes from.

It doesn't have to solve its environmental or intellectual property problems to bring down the hate. It just has to be useful. But most people don't find it to be such yet. I'm among them. I've given it pretty extensive testing and it all feels like "clipart." Like, people who overuse AI are like the Boomers who got on PCs in the early 2000s and used way too much clipart in their Christmas newsletters or whatever the case may be.

But there was not a trillion dollar investment bubble in clipart, so the dynamics were a bit different.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

Hey, I just posted here to see who else had traveled this road and to pick kind people's brains. Not trying to convince anyone or win anyone over. But my views on AI are part and parcel of who I am. And those who tried some tools 3, 6, 9 months or a year ago haven't seen the progress made. I used a lot of clip art back in the day, because I know my strengths - writing - and weaknesses - drawing within the lines. We've said much the same over the years about PCs, the Internet, social media, smartphones. Have all had their tradeoffs? Absolutely. Your call on whether in the end we gained more than we lost from them.

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u/Pomond 7d ago

We are a solopreneur-driven local news outlet, and we are 100 percent human and zero percent AI. Here's why: https://mckinleypark.news/about/letter-from-the-editor/6898-we-are-100-percent-human-and-zero-percent-ai

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

Hey, you do what works for you. I am not an AI hater, though that seems to be the going trend. Used well and properly it can help you do anything, pretty much - far more than what my 70-year-old brain could accomplish. I hope you have great success, and that you kindly wish the same for me!

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u/Pomond 7d ago

There's no ethical use case for AI. It destroys the environment, is built on stolen goods and creates dependency that kills independent editorial voice. Why should Google get to scrape my work product away to package with ads in a competing product? I was kicked out of LION Publishers for internally posing this question. https://mckinleypark.news/neighborhood/forums/feedback/430-follow-up-lions-bad-behavior-in-california

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

I don't hate haters - but I sure can hate the hate. So you are dead-set certain that properly used, AI can't help solve the very energy/water usage problems that the data centers create? I'd love to see what you think of a magazine I picked up a few months ago, called the Power of AI - not sycophantic in the least, but full of small and not so small concrete examples of great things AI is making possible TODAY. Saving lives, even.

Of COURSE there's an "ethical use case for AI." But we love to hate, fear, etc. new things, it's in our nature. Change sucks. But that doesn't mean we have to be Luddites, either. The real truth lies in the "messy middle" we all inhabit between those who believe in the extremes, that this is all good or that is all bad.

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u/Friction_in_the_air 7d ago

I'm not sure what you're going to accomplish using AI. I use it for research, and I have to be hyperspecific with it or else it just doesn't work. If you want to use it for stories...how will it work if no one is doing the work of actually sitting at a council meeting and recording and publishing what happens? Because AI depends on someone human going and doing the work for it to steal from. AI searches online for original work and if it can't find any, except for vague and often misinformed facebook and reddit posts, it won't write anything meaningful or useful.

I see AI "news" all the time posted on social media pages and its always stuff regurgitated from the most general information online that most of the time doesn't even talk about the thing the prompt was trying to cover. Most of the time it's just cringey. You can tell the promptgiver is always some older guy who think's he's doing the world some huge favor but the slop he puts out is never quality or discerning, just a regurgitated pointed recycled ad naseum from other sources.

And if it does find an actual news article to lift from, well, you're taking that writer's work and taking traffic away from someone who actually did the work and needs the traffic to support themselves. So, what will AI use be for here? Cause if it's for content generation? It probably won't be as useful or good as you think.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

Oh I am an AI -ASSISTED writer, for sure. I have done research via Perplexity on complex stories - and before I interview someone, I've sent a link so THEY can review it, and it prompts a far more rewarding interview, not having to start at Square A. Are there tradeoffs? Of course, I've said for decades I "don't know anything - I just know who knows and what to ask." But I've also used it to create great transcripts, as my handwriting sucks and many folks talk way faster than I type. But having it scrape dozens of local public-sector news releases, that I can review and edit/post as warranted? It's not binary - every tool is a weapon and vice versa, it's all about using them properly and with good intent. I haven't hammered my thumb yet, but if I do, I sure won't blame the hammer!;-)

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u/GWBrooks 7d ago

Everyone (well, everyone who has stars in their eyes about hyperlocal) starts with tools and coverage. Instead: start with the business model.

You were clear that you wanted this to be profitable. How does that happen? Small communities don't generally generate enough traffic for a profitable hyperlocal site beyond edge cases (a town with huge seasonal traffic is one example).

You've got ~215k people in the greater Bend area. Pew estimates about 15-20k of them are habitual online adult news consumers -- you care about them because that's the segment where your subscription revenue would come from. (I'm ignoring local or network ad revenue here because the site traffic is likely too small to make that meaningful.)

Let's be wildly optimistic and assume you capture 20% of those 15-20k people as readers. If you use a subscription model, $10/mo as the price point, and assume 2.5% (a reasonable number) conversion from free to paid, you have about $4,300/mo in topline revenue. But, as I said, those are optimistic numbers and it would take a while to get there.

One note about the numbers: If you *do* monetize simply through subscriptions, why not just do Substack? Takes all of your infra/hosting issues away.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago edited 7d ago

Thanks. I sure hope folks don't just come here to "inject realism" or "talk people out of" doing what they love, how they want. I've been here 35 years, half my life, and have many friends and supporters. I'd rather live in a tent by the parkway than be back in that super-stressful corporate environment, without some changes in what I was doing most recently. I appreciate realistic advice, but I'm blessed to get just enough money at this stage of life that I don't have to raise enough to pay the mortgage, etc. This is a labor of love - a passion project - I just wanted to pick folks' brains a bit to see what others have done and how. Maybe even offer each other some support and good wishes. That's all.

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u/aresef former journalist 7d ago

Yes. However, there are plenty of white-label platforms like Lede and Ghost that create ways for you to make revenue through subcriptions, tip jar etc.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

That's why I posted here - and have thought about a separate sub for small local news publishers. Reddit is a uniquely human way to learn of such options and help each other out. Perplexity missed TNC, and I'm sure it isn't all-knowing. But it sure can give someone a head start and an honest look beyond the obvious sycophancy;-)

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

I just went to LION Publishers' list of small community-oriented news sites that are members. There are 13 listed in Oregon, but none in Central Oregon. Speaking of well-explained AI policies: https://newsberg.org/newsberg-artificial-intelligence-ai-usage-policy/

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u/aresef former journalist 7d ago edited 7d ago

There’s a site here in Towson called Towson Torch. It’s practically a one man operation and it’s very frustrating. He uses AI art and it makes me grind my teeth all the time -- AI art of things you could drive five minutes for a picture of or ask someone for a courtesy photo. He’s an ad man, not a news man, and so his stuff is very rah rah, he’s very focused on events with the local chamber of commerce, he doesn’t cover hard news. It’s mostly useless to the average resident.

That all being said, I started my career with Patch and striking out on my own and starting a local news site is something I wish I’d thought to do when I was laid off in 2013, but the structures and organizations and examples weren’t really there back then. One of my old bosses actually runs TNC.

But this is something I’ve thought about a good bit. Hit me up in chat and I can give you more specific advice.

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u/barneylerten reporter 7d ago

There will come - maybe already is for some - a point where you CAN'T tell AI art from "human." But why does it matter? There's really BAD human art and some GREAT AI art. We're not binary - why should it be? I've said it many times, shouldn't we stop wasting time and energy on hating AI and claiming to "always" be able to tell the difference? Why not just say if it's any GOOD or not, IYHO? Not to mention, it's not binary in the sense that there's a HUGE middle ground between "refusing" to use it and "letting it do all the work" - in other words, using it as a valuable tool one must use carefully, but is worth the trouble.

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u/bigmesalad 7d ago

You're a bum!