Arianna Huffington
I’m not exactly sure where this rumor was originally sourced, but the folks at Gawker were speculating that the enormously successful online news rag, The Huffington Post, was attempting to acquire hyperlocal news aggregator Outside.in. It’s a takeover that makes sense. As most online news junkies know by now, The Huffington Post sources almost all of its news by taking juicy stories from freelancers–literally they are free, as in not paid.
Acquiring Outside.in would enable the Post to target local markets without too much in the way of internal work. For example, a local site for Los Angeles could be set up as nothing more than a aggregated feed from Outside.in’s platform, which HuffPo could then plaster with advertising. And with a recent $25 million in funding, shelling out some cash for a worthy company like Outside.in wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Especially in light of the fact that virtually none of that $25 million will go toward salaries.
There is one nagging problem with this rumor though. Silicon Alley Insider’s Dan Frommer says the deal–if there ever was one–is a no go. But once again he doesn’t provide a source. He says both companies declined to comment…which makes me continue to wonder.
Do you have any info on the supposed HuffPo, Outside.in team-up? If so, hit up the tip line at justin@gpsobsessed.com!
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