About My Local Press
We're building something new. Here's what you need to know.
Get the App
My Local Press is available on iOS and Android. Like the website, both apps are in beta — we'd love your help testing them and finding bugs. Your feedback makes every platform better for everyone.
The Future of Local News
Papers are closing. Newsrooms are shrinking. Communities are losing the reporters, editors, and storytellers who kept them informed — and the local publications that gave them a platform.
We're building a platform that's nimble enough to adapt as the future of local news takes shape. AI is changing how tools get built — and we're using it to move fast, keep costs low, and put capable publishing tools in the hands of people who actually cover their communities. But AI doesn't replace the reporter at the city council meeting. It doesn't replace the editor who knows which story matters. It doesn't replace the neighbor who shows up with a camera when the creek floods.
People are the point. AI helps us build the tools. Humans use them to do the work that matters — reporting, writing, curating, publishing. That's the balance we're building around.
Who We Are
We're two people: an investor and a programmer, working together on an idea we believe in. That's it. No board of directors. No investors demanding growth at all costs. No exit strategy.
This means we can do something the big platforms can't: keep platform costs low so more revenue goes directly to the people creating the content.
Rejecting the Attention Economy
Most platforms optimize for engagement — clicks, outrage, whatever keeps you scrolling. Controversy gets rewarded. Nuance gets buried. The loudest voices win, not the most trustworthy.
We're building the opposite — a platform where community matters more than clicks. Where your visibility isn't determined by how controversial you are, but by whether your community trusts you.
We want to make it dead simple to create local content — and dead simple to consume it, wherever people are. On your phone. On your TV. In your car. Whatever comes next.
Our approach is built on community vouching. Real people verifying other real people. It's an experiment — we haven't seen anyone try this quite this way before. We're figuring it out as we go, with input from our community.
How Vouching Works
On My Local Press, your visibility isn't determined by how controversial you are. It's shaped by vouches — trust signals from other community members. Vouches range from verifying someone is real and local, to respecting their expertise, to the highest signal of all: "I often disagree with this person, but I still respect them."
To create content, you must be vouched for. The founders vouch for early contributors, and then those who have been vouched can vouch for others — creating a chain of trust that grows organically.
You're a Ground Floor Contributor
This is a beta. We're constantly building. Things will break. Features will change. We're moving fast and want your ideas and feedback along the way.
But you're not just a user — you're a Ground Floor Contributor. Your feedback shapes what we build. Your patience helps us improve. Your participation in the vouching system helps us discover how to make this approach work even better.
When you find a bug, tell us. When you have an idea, share it. When something frustrates you, let us know. We're building this together. Use our feedback form to share your thoughts.
For Contributors and Publications
We're building multiple ways for contributors and publications to earn — through advertising, reader support, and sponsorships. The vast majority of revenue goes directly to you.
Our goal: make it possible for local journalists, citizen reporters, community storytellers, and local publications to actually make a living doing this work.
My Local Press — Building the future of local news together.