A Camden County news website hopes to bypass algorithms to connect small businesses with the community

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Local news organizations and businesses share the same challenge: reaching their customers online.

Matt Skoufalos has thought about it a lot. The founder and editor of NJ PEN, a local news website that serves Camden County, said the way some internet search engines are set up, many do not get beyond a summary generated by artificial intelligence.

“I’ve had instances where the Google AI search results for something I’ve reported on, go through my paywall … to extract content and then reassemble it incorrectly,” Skoufalos said.

He added that he and other small business owners are fighting to reach an audience online even as the rules and pathways are ever changing.

“Not only do people not understand what they’re supposed to do to maximize that effort, but then there’s people who actively game the system,” Skoufalos added.

In order to bypass AI and online algorithms that can determine how easily a website is found, Skoufalous is organizing the first NJ PEN Small Business Street Fair, which will take place Sunday at Haddon and Woodlawn avenues in Collingswood. The event, co-presented with Collingswood Partners, will feature live entertainment, food, employment resources and a panel discussion.

More importantly, for Skoufalous, it provides a physical space for small businesses and their potential customers to meet with the goal of supporting the local economy.

“There is a lot of study that has been done on how we keep money in the local economy, it goes farther, it gets recycled more times over,” he said.