Apple News expands its local coverage into three markets: Charlotte, Miami and Washington, D.C. Each local news experience is curated by Apple News editors who select topics important to the market’s local community. This can include everything from restaurant openings and real estate trends to policy changes and government, says Apple News in an October 26, 2021 blog post. Readers will be able to access local publications through the Apple News app including the Washington Post, Washingtonian, DCist, Axios Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer, Eater Miami and the Miami Herald.

“At Apple News, we know that access to trusted local news is critical for communities, and an important resource for a national audience as well,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News. “We are committed to working with local publishers across the country to support their journalism and offer our users local coverage in the cities and regions they care about.”

Product launch and expansion

Apple News began curating local news in 2020 in the Bay Area, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. This year, Apple News has further expanded into Sacramento, San Antonio and San Diego, and they plan to continue to expand into new markets to promote the work of local publishers. In addition, each Thursday, Apple News editors create a “Read Local” collection of top stories from local publications. Readers can access these stories in the Today feed of their Apple News app.

Subscription product – Apple+

Apple News is free to users of iOS, but Apple also offers a premium product – Apple News+ – featuring more than 300 publications including The New Yorker, National Geographic, TIME, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, People, The Wall Street Journal, Car and Driver, the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, Oprah Daily and more. Subscriptions, available for $9.99 a month after a free one-month trial, can be shared with up to six family members. In addition to content from magazines and newspapers, Apple News+ offers audio stories and online and offline reading across devices

“The Apple News+ difference. Rewriting the reading experience,” says Apple. “Apple News+ delivers an incredibly diverse collection of the world’s best publications. Vivid photography and animation, rich videos, and immersive layouts bring articles to life in stunning new ways. Swipe through issues from cover to cover or download them to read on the go.”

Additional features

In an effort to attract new readers and subscribers, Apple News personalizes the experience for users. As readers read, Apple News takes note and recommends other stories in the app that may be of interest. Apple also offers Apple News Today, weekday audio briefings from hosts Shumita Basu and Duarte Geraldino. This feature is free to all users and can be found in the Apple News app or in Apple Podcasts.

Insider Take

Since the start of the pandemic, local news coverage has become a growing trend. People still want national highlights and stories, but they are also interested in what’s happening closer to home. That’s why news products like Apple’s new local coverage and Axios Local are growing in popularity. If this business model is sustainable, the trend will continue, but that remains to be seen. Media outlets need to have the resources to support local coverage in order to feed products like Apple News the curated stories and news experiences readers crave.