We’re not much for talking products but found an exception today. Our podcast guest was Martin Langeveld, long-time newspaper publisher and principal of CircLabs. His group aims to increase online effectiveness of news organizations, beginning with newspapers.
Their browser add-on software will go into beta soon. Circulate aims to alert us users to news we are likely to want to see through an always-visible bar at the top of a browser window.
Google kind of does this on searches and in blog ads. However, Circulate will not just pick some keywords and throw the closest related ad before you. It will work when media such as local newspapers and the AP link their content while the bar’s engine sees where you like to get your news and about what, and then provides meaningful related items.
It’s an ambitious project with powerful goals. Another principal, Bill Densmore has been championing moving media into effective use of the internet. He spent the past year on an even more ambitious Information Valet Project at the University of Missouri’s Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. While media types, particularly newspaper editors and publishers have seemed overwhelmed at the challenges of keeping readers and monetizing net ads and access, Densmore plunged right into this. His project was the catalyst for CircLabs.
Listen to Langeveld describe what they are about and what’s next. You should also check his own blog on the larger topic at News after Newspapers.
Cross-posted at LeftAhead.com(and credit goes to Mike for writing this one.)
