- Zurich-based Spatz uses AI to deliver hyperlocal newsletters in Swiss villages
- High engagement with open rates around 70%, reaching up to 20% of residents
- Funded by €400,000 grant, plans to expand across DACH region with community focus
As local newspapers vanish across rural Switzerland, Zürich startup Spatz is using artificial intelligence to bring journalism back to small communities. Founded by journalist Hannes Grassegger, the company produces hyperlocal newsletters that deliver curated regional news via email and WhatsApp, aiming to fill the “news deserts” left by traditional outlets.
Grassegger, once known for investigations into Cambridge Analytica and online disinformation, founded Spatz to counter the social fragmentation caused by fake news. His goal: rebuild community trust through reliable, local information.
After early attempts to create a national subscription model for news, Grassegger pivoted to a leaner approach – AI-assisted newsletters focused on microregions. In areas such as Toggenburg and La Veveyse, local editors like former journalist and restaurateur Gilles Martin compile weekly updates with the help of Spatz’s AI tools, which summarise material from community websites and bulletins. Human oversight remains central to ensure accuracy and tone.
The model shows promise. Spatz newsletters achieve open rates near 70%, far above industry norms, and reach about 6,500 subscribers — in some places, up to one in five adults. Now transitioning from a non-profit to a company, Spatz is testing donations, advertising and memberships to sustain its free service.
A €400,000 grant from the Media Forward Fund will help expand from eight to more than twenty digital village newspapers across Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The jury called Spatz a scalable way to restore local news ecosystems.
Grassegger notes that Swiss municipalities spend around 100 million francs a year on their own communications, often overshadowing independent journalism. Spatz, he argues, offers an alternative, rooted in community identity and supported by small-business advertising.
As it grows, Spatz plans to use AI for both editorial and management tasks while keeping final decisions in human hands. For Grassegger, technology’s role is not to replace reporters but to empower them, keeping local news alive where it matters most.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.nzz.ch/schweiz/ki-newsletter-aus-der-dorfbeiz-wie-ein-zuercher-startup-den-lokaljournalismus-retten-will-ld.1894851 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/grantees – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/news/jury-des-media-forward-fund-sendet-klares-signal-fuer-den-lokaljournalismus – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/news/jury-des-media-forward-fund-sendet-klares-signal-fuer-den-lokaljournalismus – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/news/jury-des-media-forward-fund-sendet-klares-signal-fuer-den-lokaljournalismus – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/news/jury-des-media-forward-fund-sendet-klares-signal-fuer-den-lokaljournalismus – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
- https://www.mediaforwardfund.org/en/news/jury-des-media-forward-fund-sendet-klares-signal-fuer-den-lokaljournalismus – The Media Forward Fund has awarded a €400,000 grant to Spatz, a Swiss digital platform building a network of AI-supported hyperlocal news sources via newsletters and WhatsApp. This funding aims to support Spatz’s scaling strategy, expanding from eight to at least twenty digital village newspapers in the DACH region, and establishing a sustainable financing mix of memberships and local advertising markets. The jury recognized Spatz for filling the gaps in rural areas left by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings, viewing it as an innovative business model with high scaling potential to serve rural and sparsely populated regions in Switzerland and beyond.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears to be original, with no evidence of prior publication. The earliest known publication date of similar content is October 2025. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content does not appear to be recycled or republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quotes from Hannes Grassegger and Gilles Martin are unique to this report, with no identical matches found online. This suggests potentially original or exclusive content. No variations in quote wording were noted.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), a reputable Swiss media organisation known for its high-quality journalism. This enhances the credibility of the report.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about Spatz’s AI-powered newsletters and their impact on local journalism in rural Switzerland are plausible and align with known trends in media innovation. The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a minor concern. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and the structure is focused and relevant.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The report is original, with no evidence of recycled content. The quotes are unique and sourced from a reputable organisation, enhancing credibility. The claims are plausible and consistent with known trends, with minor concerns regarding the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets.
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