Lloyd Dobler would not approve of the future of hyper-local news

The Chicago Tribune this week inked a deal with a company that collects, processes, and sells data to media company and marketers.

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Sounds like the agreement the Chicago Tribune struck this week.

The Tribune inked a deal with Journatic to provide content for the paper’s hyper-local websites and print editions covering the Chicago suburbs. At least 20 staffers are expected to lose their jobs because of the move.

Journatic is a six-year-old company that aggregates data through a series of algorithms, full-time staffers, and freelancers (at $4 article). It provides content for media companies, including the San Francisco Chronicle, for marketers, and for its website BlockShopper.com.

Michael Miner, a media critic with the weekly Chicago Reader, spoke with Journatic CEO Brian Timpone, who described the service his company provides as data collection. It gathers news and collects data, according to Timpone.

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