By: Joe Strupp The New York Times on Friday plans to launch the first of several local news sections for cities outside of its core northeast market. The initial effort will be in San Francisco, where the paper's 10-person bureau will file local coverage, and eventually utilize content from other news outlets there.
The Times announced today that the project will include added pages of local content on Fridays and Sundays in the San Francisco area.
"The new pages will complement the national and global coverage that long has made The Times a popular news provider in the region," a release stated. "The Bay Area pages initially will be written and edited by New York Times journalists and contributors and will include enterprising coverage of local concerns, focusing on public affairs, culture and lifestyles in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, the East Bay and the region."
It adds that a long-term objective is "to work with local journalists and news organizations in a collaborative way, first in the Bay Area and then in other major markets around the country."
"At a time when so many news organizations are in a forced retreat, it's exciting to be part of a venture that has set out to build more and better news coverage," Executive Editor Bill Keller said in the announcement. "And as someone who grew up in the Bay Area, I'm proud that we can play a role in enriching the quality of reporting about the region."
Felicity Barringer, a veteran Times reporter and editor, will oversee the San Francisco pages. Daniel Weintraub, a former public affairs columnist for The Sacramento Bee, will write a political column.
The move also includes a new blog, set to debut next week, called "The Bay Area."
The announcement revealed that the Times is in conversations with potential news providers in Chicago for similar coverage, but did not indicate which specific news outlets.
"We believe there is potential to collaborate with local publishers by printing and distributing pages in The Times and adding regional content online," Scott Heekin-Canedy, president and general manager of the Times, said in a statement. "The right alliances will bring together trusted brands and will provide additional quality local content for our readers."
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