Content-sharing agreement for four newspapers in Tennessee

Tennessee's four largest newspapers have revealed a content sharing agreement.  The "informal, handshake deal" is between Nashville's Tennessean, Memphis' Commercial Appeal, the Chattanooga Times-Free Press and Knoxville's News Sentinel.  In an internal memo, editor of the News Sentinel Jack McElroy described how representatives of the four publications met of February 4th and "all agreed that readers would be best served if the papers found ways to eliminate duplicate effort and share content of interest throughout the state".  The four believe that the collaboration will be particularly relevant during the governor's race in 2010.

Also possibly headed for further content sharing are members of the Associated Press Sports Editors.  Roy Hewitt, Sports Editor at Cleveland publication the Plain Dealer has sent an e-mail round to the organisation's members asking them to respond to a survey on the subject.  Hewitt is trying to measure interest in content sharing amongst sports editors, and believes "Nationwide sharing is one way we as members of APSE might be able to help each other in these troubled economic times."  There has been a noted increase in content sharing as publications pool resources, often with former rivals, in order to most effectively run their publications

Source: Editor & Publisher, Poynter