About My Local Press

The Mission

We're dedicated to being the lowest-cost platform for news creation.

Across the country and around the world, communities are losing the reporters, editors, and storytellers who kept them informed — and the local publications that gave them a platform. When the local paper closes, something irreplaceable is lost.

We believe local news needs a business model that can sustain it.

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 costs low and pass the savings to journalists and publications.

We're Trying Something New

Most social platforms optimize for one thing: engagement. Clicks. Outrage. Whatever keeps you scrolling. They've built systems that incentivize clickbait — and we've all seen where that leads. Controversy gets rewarded. Nuance gets buried. The loudest voices win, not the most trustworthy.

We're building an alternative — a platform where quality, trust, and respect matter most.

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 based on the quality of the content you contribute:

• Real — This is a real person
• Local — They're part of the community they cover
• Expertise — They have credibility in their subject area
• Agree & Respect — I generally agree with them
• Respect — I respect their good faith, regardless of agreement
• Disagree & Respect — I often disagree, but still respect them (the highest signal)

To create content, you must be vouched for. Initially, the founders will vouch for early contributors. Then, those who have been vouched can vouch for others — creating a chain of trust that grows organically.

Important: Vouching for someone doesn't mean you agree with them. It means you can verify they're a real person — someone willing to stand behind their words and engage in good faith. In fact, earning a "Disagree & Respect" vouch is the highest signal of credibility — that's the kind of contributor our platform wants to provide space for and reward because that's the kind of contributor the world needs now more than ever.

For Contributors and Publications

We're building multiple ways for contributors and publications to earn:

• Advertisements — Local and relevant, not creepy surveillance ads
• Subscriptions — Readers support creators they value
• Donations & Tips — Direct support from your community
• Sponsorships — Connect with local businesses who want to support local news

Our goal: make it possible for local journalists, citizen reporters, community storytellers, and local publications to actually make a living doing this work.