South Shore News Wins 350 Paid Subscribers for AI Local News, Eyes $25,000 Revenue
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 12
South Shore News Wins 350 Paid Subscribers for AI Local News, Eyes $25,000 Revenue
3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 12
Summary
350 readers have paid for South Shore News since Justin Evans put up a paywall in April, showing demand for AI-generated coverage of town and school meetings across 19 communities south of Boston.
$25,000 in expected 2026 revenue against under $2,000 in costs has turned the site into a meaningful side business, with subscriptions priced at $8 a month or $80 a year.
Nearly all of the outlet’s 1,900 stories come from AI transcriptions of public meetings, which Evans edits and formats with timestamps and summaries; he and subscribers say accuracy has improved despite recurring errors.
3,000 additional free subscribers get article previews, and local officials and residents say the service fills a gap left by shrinking legacy coverage even if it cannot replace on-the-ground reporting or investigative work.
$30,000 to $35,000 in annual revenue is Evans’s next target, which he says could fund a part-time editor and possibly expansion into new regions or even a print paper.