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What is Local News API?

Local News API provides location-specific news content across multiple countries including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, China, Thailand, and Switzerland. Building on our core News API v3 infrastructure, it adds dedicated location detection capabilities optimized for city, county, and regional news coverage. The system processes content from thousands of local news sources, including small city publishers, regional outlets, university newspapers, and local government news portals.

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Features

  • Location
  • Content
  • Technical
  • Six distinct location detection methods - Content from thousands of local news sources across multiple countries - Advanced GeoNames filtering with administrative hierarchy, localization and confidence scores - Cross-language search using English keywords

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Key differences from News API v3

For users familiar with our core News API v3, Local News API offers these key enhancements:
FeatureLocal News APINews API v3
Geographic focusLocal coverage across multiple countries with specialized location detectionGlobal news coverage
Location handlingSimple location names plus structured GeoNames filteringBasic geographic filtering
Historical data30 days of historyUp to 5 years of history
Source typesLocal newspapers, government sites, university outletsMajor publications, international sources

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Location detection methods

The system uses six distinct methods to detect and validate locations in news articles:

Dedicated Source

Identifies articles from news sources exclusively covering a specific location (highest confidence)

Local Section

Identifies locations through dedicated sections in larger publications

Regional Source

Uses regional context to properly interpret and disambiguate location mentions

Standard Format

Identifies locations written in standard formats like “City, State”

Proximity Mention

Detects cities and states mentioned within 15 words of each other

AI Extraction

Uses AI-based content analysis to identify locations (requires AI Extraction plan)
For detailed information on each method, see Location detection methods.

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Base URL

For API requests use the following base URL: 
https://local-news.newscatcherapi.com

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Endpoints

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Standard endpoints

EndpointMethodDescriptionUse Case
/api/searchPOSTFull-text search with simple location filteringFind articles using “City, State” or “City, Country” format for locations
/api/latest_headlinesPOSTRecent articles by locationMonitor latest news for specific towns or regions
/api/search_byPOSTDirect article lookupRetrieve specific articles using URLs, IDs, or RSS GUIDs
/api/sourcesPOSTAvailable news sourcesDiscover local news providers by region

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Advanced endpoints

EndpointMethodDescriptionUse Case
/api/search/advancedPOSTFull-text search with GeoNames filteringFind articles using structured geographic data with administrative hierarchy
/api/latest_headlines/advancedPOSTRecent articles with GeoNames filteringMonitor latest news with precise geographic targeting and confidence scores

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Request format

Include your API key in the x-api-token header for each request. All requests must use HTTPS.

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Standard endpoint example

{
  "q": "venture capital",
  "locations": ["San Francisco, California"],
  "detection_methods": ["dedicated_source", "standard_format"],
  "lang": "en",
  "from_": "7 days ago",
  "include_translation_fields": true
}

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Advanced endpoint example

{
  "q": "venture capital",
  "geonames": [
    {
      "name": "San Francisco",
      "country": "US",
      "admin1": {
        "name": "California"
      },
      "localization_score": {
        "min": 7
      }
    }
  ],
  "lang": "en",
  "from_": "7 days ago",
  "include_translation_fields": true
}

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Response differences

Both endpoint types include basic article information with metadata, NLP and translation fields (title_translated_en, content_translated_en). The main difference between standard and advanced endpoints is the location data structure.

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Standard endpoints

Return simple location data: 
"locations": [
  {
    "name": "San Francisco, California",
    "detection_methods": ["dedicated_source"]
  }
]

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Advanced endpoints

Return structured GeoNames data: 
"geonames": [
  {
    "geonames_id": "5391959",
    "name": "San Francisco",
    "country": "US",
    "admin1": {"name": "California", "code": "CA"},
    "coordinates": {"lat": 37.77493, "lon": -122.41942},
    "localization_score": 8.5,
    "confidence_score": 9.2,
    "detection_methods": ["dedicated_source"]
  }
]
For detailed information on all available response fields, see API Reference.

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Use cases

Local News API is designed for applications requiring location-specific news intelligence:
  • Local news applications: Deliver geographically relevant content to users.
  • Regional business monitoring: Track company activities in specific markets.
  • Real estate intelligence: Monitor development news, policy changes, and market trends.
  • Media analysis: Examine coverage patterns across geographic regions.
  • Government affairs: Track policy issues at local and regional levels.
  • Crisis monitoring: Follow emergencies and public health issues by location.
  • University research: Analyze local media coverage of regional issues.

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Getting started

  1. Book a demo to get your API key.
  2. Follow the Quickstart guide to make your first request and comprehend the basic workflow.
  3. Review the Location detection methods documentation to understand how the system identifies and validates location mentions.
  4. Learn about GeoNames filtering for advanced geographic targeting.
  5. Dive into the API reference for detailed endpoint documentation and advanced query options.
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