12 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
12 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

How to start a news website?

by Wide
10 replies
Hi,

I know some of you are running rather big news websites, some even approved by Google News.

How do you handle news? Where do you get the content?
Do you read other news sites and rewrite the news to post on your own website?
Do you read press releases and write news articles based on those?

What is your primary go-to method to find news to write about?



Regards,

Kenneth
#news #start #website
  • Profile picture of the author TheContentAuthority
    Wide,

    While I’m sure people build popular sites using repurposed content alone, the really successful ones make their own stories.
    I’m not a journalist but I would venture a guess that the primary way that stories get uncovered is through networking and hitting the bricks and asking questions. I’m not sure what kind of news you want to report on but you (or whoever is writing the story) has to get out there and investigate, dig up information, talk to people involve, make phone calls, knock on doors, etc.

    Here are some ideas on investigative journalism,

    Investigative Journalism Manual - Ways to find a story

    Hope that helps,
    Shawn
    Signature
    Outsource to the experts...

    We customize your Blog, eBook, Press Release and Sale Copy content with your message.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272091].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    Have you heard of the Huffington Post?

    All they do is curate content found on other websites and allow people to comment about the story on their site.

    One of my biggest pet peeves is a news site where I can't add in my comment about the BS I'm seeing them report. News makes people emotional... give them a way to comment on stories they might not be able to on other sites and ask for their opinions.

    Build up a social network/following and have at it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272188].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Wide
      But that's not exactly news. Is Huffington Posts included in Google News if they don't post news stories?
      Signature

      Test my 21.03% CTR Theme
      http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...?highlight=CTR

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272395].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Steve B
        Ken,

        I guess my idea of news site is a little different than others that have responded.

        The key to a news web site, in my opinion, is to focus on a specific niche and then report fresh happenings and events as quickly as possible.

        Curation is a specific method of reporting on a niche, but again, in my opinion, curation does not always fit the "fresh" aspect that I think the best news sites offer. You can curate old stories and articles with good results.

        To me, a top news site should always contain the latest information possible and generally present it in an unbiased manner.

        If you want to get content that is fresh I would suggest investing in a news syndication service. It is expensive, yes, but it is the source of the latest news and you are allowed to re-use the stories with proper credits.

        Old news is No news at all.

        Good luck to you,

        Steve
        Signature

        Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
        SteveBrowneDirect

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272523].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gortz
    Hi,

    It depends on what kind of news you are producing. Many of the stories included in Google News by smaller publishers are rehashed articles from a major news source. You have to be creative if you are on a limited budget and want to produce unique content.

    Even if you get into Google News, re-written articles rarely rank well anymore and are drowned by major publishers.

    We run a network of financial news sites and with a limited budget, you have to dig deep. Watching for press releases and then providing additional insight on certain announcements. Or listening in to analyst calls and producing content directly from the information provided.

    There are a number of ways to produce unique content on a budget, it just depends on the niche. Re-writing content will not get you accepted into Google News either if that's your ultimate goal.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272553].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dalegolden
    A little question regarding the new websites. Most of the news sites does publish similar kind of stories. There is nothing to create unique about a particular happenings. Why they does not face the duplicate content issue?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8272896].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Graham Maddison
    I have 3 news sites in the "Money" niche and I use "Covert Social Press" to populate them with news from various financial rss feeds. This may not be the answer you are looking for, but it suits me as a set and forget site.. due to health restraints I am unable to sit at my computer for long periods.

    The sites in question are all very new and yet I do frequently get google search visitors.
    Signature
    Trade without Boundaries.
    Start with $30 Trading Bonus.
    No Deposit Required
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8274238].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author drkscript
    I think it does not matter what kind of news you want to create. What you need is to populate it with Fresh News Everyday. You can also post old news but it should an article that does not easily go out of trend. Assuming you are not a journalist yourself then you will just have to do curation.

    There are a number of ways to do curation.

    *You can setup Google alerts so you will be updated as it happens.
    *You can subscribe to watch out for RSS Feeds from top news or blogs sites out there.
    *You can provide yourself with a software that will do it for you,

    I personally use CurationSoft. Its compatible with most website platform. Since you are just starting you can do it yourself. It has an easy drag and drop curated article feature that can save your time.

    Tip: An Excellent Title does the trick make it more striking.

    Hope this helps, good luck
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8276059].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author NicheService
    The primary go-to method to find news to write about is News.Google.com. And search intitle:"keyword". Then, arrange by Date to get the latest news on the subject.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8320691].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Alan

    Here is how you get traffic and I know it is contrary to the advice others have given you, but remember many roads lead you to the same destination.
    1. Put a spin on your news liberal or conservative.
    2. Spend a lot of time participating in political forums, post links to your news stories in the political forums voila.


    Originally Posted by Wide View Post

    Hi,

    I know some of you are running rather big news websites, some even approved by Google News.

    How do you handle news? Where do you get the content?
    Do you read other news sites and rewrite the news to post on your own website?
    Do you read press releases and write news articles based on those?

    What is your primary go-to method to find news to write about?



    Regards,

    Kenneth
    Signature
    Crazy Cheap Hosting Get Hosting for less than $2 per month + Free Domain Name Registration. Get Free SEO, Blogging and Internet Marketing Tips from the Solo Blogger.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8320946].message }}

Trending Topics