CircLabs

From hyper-local websites to non-profit organizations like the Center for Investigative Reporting to sheer innovation such as Spot.us, we always suspected the model that would eventually save journalism would have Bay Area ties.

Well, another local player has attempted to strap on the cape. Yesterday featured the unveiling of CircLabs, a Silicon-Valley based project aimed at increasingly monetizing online news through increased personalization.

Its first product is code-named "Circulate," the specific functions of which, said CircLabs partner Martin Langeveld in a self-penned article on the Nieman Journalism Lab website, "will address the challenges of how to increase traffic to media-affiliated websites, secure relationships with online users and enhance the value of news."

The goal is a precise news-delivery system, eliminating the "uncertainties and wasted time of searching for news on the Web." It will likely involve a pay-for-content model, as well as highly targeted advertising.

Now that publishers across the land have succumbed to the reality that free content doesn't pay bills -- most notable locally is the Media News Group -- the space for a company like CircLabs is continually expanding.

Launch is planned for the second half of '09.