New service dedicated to distributing news from small town America

June 24, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Technology News
SmallTownPapers, Inc. has launched SmallTownPapers News Service (STPNS), the first news service dedicated exclusively to local news and information from small markets across the country. SmallTownPapers offers access to content from newspapers in 300 small markets across the US – content which, until now, has not been available for wide distribution.

STPNS was created as a vehicle for publishers to distribute their articles across the Internet and to provide access to real-time news and information from local media authorities to millions of news consumers.

“Newspapers from small towns have long been overlooked by media and information gathering industries such as news services because it was too expensive to gather small market news,” said Paul Jeffko, president and founder of SmallTownPapers. “STPNS gives these newspapers a way to share their news and information with the world and gives consumers and organizations an easy way to access local content of interest to them.”

“When we see a national news story, the focus is almost always on the largest metro area affected but frequently it touches small town America,” said Jim Hensley, general manager of the publishing group New Century Press, Inc. in Rock Rapids, Iowa. “STPNS provides the connection – it offers an exciting new tool which allows the country to get a more comprehensive look at what’s happening all across the US, not just in major markets.”

STPNS offers news and feature articles, photographs, sports statistics, vital statistics and other newsworthy information from small markets through online distribution portals such as Topix.net, Newstex, LLC, and LexisNexis.

"Connecting people to their local news is job one here at Topix.net and STPNS is a natural fit for us as well as a win for our readers", said Rich Skrenta, CEO of Topix.net. "We're always looking for ways to work with publishers and syndication services, and SmallTownPapers has particularly relevant and unique content.”

"They say all politics is local," said Larry Schwartz, Newstex, LLC president. "Our customers have requested that we add the best content covering local issues and SmallTownPapers News Service is just what they require. It will benefit customers of all types - financial markets participants, government workers, and corporate executives - as they seek to understand what's happening at the local level.”

For more information visit www.stpns.net and www.smalltownpapers.com.