A regional publisher has struck a new deal which will help its journalists find potential stories on social media more quickly.

Reach plc has announced a partnership with specialist search engine Krzana, set to be trialled across seven of its regional newsrooms.

Krzana monitors over 60,000 sources of news from the major social networks like Twitter and YouTube, as well as local news sites and blogs, and the deal will allow Reach journalists to set up highly detailed geographical parameters for searches to create a personal news feed.

Krzana says this will automatically identify newsworthy events to reporters the second they happen, saving them from having to constantly monitor social media sites for possible stories.

The deal initially covers Reach newsrooms in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Cambridge, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester and Newcastle.

Karyn Fleeting, pictured, head of audience engagement at Reach plc Regionals, said: “Krzana is a third eye in our regional newsrooms. This AI tool is so fast and clever, it alerts our journalists to breaking news the moment something happens.”

Krzana chief executive Steve Godman added: “We want to help journalists discover stories in real time before they become news. When it’s trending it’s too late.

“Krzana improves newsrooms’ output by allowing local journalists to spend less time hunting for stories and media, and more of it writing unique, insightful journalism.

“We believe our technology can help publishers become more effective and productive and play a role in safeguarding the future of local journalism.”