Featured App: Capitol City Now
The Capitol City Now app “delivers the ultimate local news experience for Central Illinois” with content from CapitolCityNow.com. Readers in and around Springfield get news, features, blogs, podcasts, obituaries, weather, agriculture news, an events calendar and business updates, all free and with no subscription required. It is built with AppPresser.
In this featured app spotlight, we take a closer look at the team behind Capitol City Now, what the app does, who it serves, and why it is such a strong example of what happens when a WordPress site and a mobile app work together.
Who Is Behind Saga Communications
Capitol City Now is the local news site of the Capitol Media Group, Saga Communications’ radio group in Springfield, Illinois, the state capital. Its newsroom says it is “dedicated to reporting timely and accurate local news that matters to Springfield, the Capitol and Central Illinois,” and that its reporters “live and work in Central Illinois and are deeply invested in the stories that shape our neighborhoods, schools and businesses.”
Its mission is “to keep local news accessible to everyone, because a connected community is a strong community,” and it promises news “you can trust,” reflecting “transparency, compassion and independence.” Capitol City Now publishes its own ethics policy, the Capitol City Now Promise, and invites readers to submit news tips, letters to the editor, photos, videos, events and obituaries.
The group’s news roots run deep. Its flagship, WTAX, first went on the air in 1923 in Streator, Illinois, and moved to Springfield in 1930, where it has covered the state capital for generations. Saga Communications began operating WTAX and WDBR in 1996 and completed its purchase of the Springfield stations in 1997, and the group has since grown into one of Central Illinois’ largest local media operations. Capitol City Now brings that newsroom’s reporting together online, so readers no longer need to tune in at the top of the hour to catch up on Springfield.
The Capitol Media Group includes WDBR 103.7, 101.1 The Outlaw, Pure Oldies 107.5, Rewind 93.5, 101.9 The Wolf, 100.5 WYMG and News Talk 93.9 and AM 1240 WTAX, Springfield’s longtime news talk station. Capitol City Now is based on East Sangamon Avenue in Springfield and is online at capitolcitynow.com.
What the Capitol City Now App Does
The Capitol City Now app keeps Central Illinois connected wherever readers are. A bold black and red design matches the brand, and a bottom bar offers Top Stories, Latest News, Sections and Listen.
Here are the main areas the app covers:
- Push notifications for news, weather, sports and more.
- Breaking news alerts for local news.
- Weather specific to Sangamon County and the surrounding area.
- Links to local podcasts.
- Sections for Local, Business, Crime, Obituaries, Events, Education, Agriculture, Weather, Lifestyle and Podcasts.
- Listen, to tune in to the group’s radio stations.
- Sharing, to pass a story along.
- No subscription required.
What makes Capitol City Now distinctive is its place in the state capital. Coverage of state government sits alongside agriculture news, community events and local obituaries, reflecting the full life of Central Illinois.
App Screenshots
Here is a look at the app. Use the arrows or the numbered buttons to move through the screenshots.
Test Drive the App
The best way to understand Capitol City Now is to try it. Download the app on iPhone or Android, turn on breaking news alerts, then browse the Sections for the topics you follow.
Key Features That Stand Out
News
Top Stories presents the day’s most important news as large cards with a headline, a photo and a short summary. In the screenshot, the lead story covers changes to state health insurance rules that were heading to the governor. A share icon sits at the top of the screen.
Stories
Latest News shows the newest stories as they are published. In the screenshots, that includes hundreds of people gathering for a Memorial Day service at Camp Butler, one of the 14 national cemeteries established by Abraham Lincoln, and the state budget moving to the House. Readers can scroll through and tap any story to read more.
Radio
The Listen screen puts the Capitol Media Group’s stations a tap away, starting with News/Talk WTAX at 93.9 FM and 1240 AM, followed by WDBR 103.7. A big red Listen to WTAX button starts the live stream. A Sections screen lists every area of coverage, from Local, Business and Obituaries to Events, Education, Agriculture, Weather, Lifestyle and Podcasts.
At a Glance
- Local news for Springfield and Central Illinois.
- From the Capitol Media Group, part of Saga Communications.
- Backed by WTAX, on the air since 1923 and in Springfield since 1930.
- Free, with no subscription required.
- Push notifications and breaking news alerts.
- Sangamon County weather, podcasts and radio.
- Sections from Local and Business to Agriculture and Obituaries.
- Available on iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Powered by the newsroom’s WordPress site through AppPresser.
Who Capitol City Now Serves
Capitol City Now is built for residents of Springfield, Sangamon County and the surrounding area. Breaking news alerts and local weather keep them informed the moment it matters. For longtime WTAX listeners, it is the same trusted newsroom in a new place.
It also serves people who follow state government. As the news source for the capital city, Capitol City Now covers the stories coming out of the Statehouse.
Finally, it serves Central Illinois’ farming community and the listeners of Capitol Media Group’s stations, with agriculture news, podcasts and live radio in the same app.
Technology Behind the App
Capitol City Now is powered by Saga Communications’ WordPress site, capitolcitynow.com.
The app is built from WordPress, and WordPress drives it. News stories live on the WordPress site, and AppPresser carries that content straight into the app, so updates made on the site show up in the app without a separate system to manage.
Looking at the site itself, these are the platforms behind the experience:
WordPress, the foundation for the news site. WordPress is the open source content management system that powers more websites than any other platform.
Saga News Theme, a custom Saga Communications theme, for design.
Gravity Forms, for forms. Gravity Forms is a popular WordPress form plugin.
WP Go Maps Pro, for maps. WP Go Maps is a WordPress map plugin.
AppPresser, which turns the WordPress site into the mobile app. AppPresser is a mobile app builder that creates native iOS and Android apps from a WordPress site.
What Capitol City Now Shows About AppPresser
Saga Communications runs Capitol City Now on WordPress, and the app shows how AppPresser can help a media company deliver local news. Stories, sections and alerts the newsroom already publishes become a fast native experience.
It also shows how a radio group can extend its brand online. Pairing a newsroom with radio stations and an app helps Capitol Media Group reach its audience wherever they are.
And it shows how AppPresser serves organizations of every kind and size. A local newsroom in Illinois’ capital can offer readers the polished app experience they expect.
Congratulations to Saga Communications and the Capitol City Now team on building an app that keeps Central Illinois informed. We are proud to have AppPresser behind it.
Do You Want Your Own App?
If your organization already runs on WordPress, launching your app with AppPresser is simple. Your app pulls directly from the website you already manage, so every update you make to your site appears in your app automatically. Ready to get started on your app right now? Check out our pricing page.
Not on WordPress yet? AppPresser can still help. Our team can move your website onto WordPress and then set up your app, so everything works together from the start. And if you need something more tailored, from custom features to a completely custom app, our custom development services have you covered.
If you need help or have any questions, tell us about your organization and what you’d like your app to do, and we’ll get back to you with a clear answer on costs and next steps.
