About this Website

Following local politics is important, but let’s be honest—watching every city council meeting is tedious. The end of B Square Bulletin has left a gap, and I’ve set up this blog as a stopgap solution.

 

This blog automatically monitors YouTube for Bloomington, Indiana city council meetings and posts AI-generated summaries with checkable transcripts. Hopefully, it helps you stay informed without sitting through hours of video.

 

How These AI Summaries Are Generated

These summaries are generated using AI based on transcripts of city council meetings. The AI is given a specific prompt structured as follows:

Summarize this meeting in a detailed, journalistic style, with a strong emphasis on direct quotes from council members and the public.

Priorities:

  1. Use direct quotes extensively:
    • For and against policy proposals – Include multiple direct quotes from different sides of each debate.
    • Statements of major problems – Capture how issues were framed in their own words.
    • Emotional moments – Highlight when speakers express frustration, urgency, or passion.
  2. Make it a compelling news story – Start with the most dramatic or high-impact moment of the meeting.
  3. Explain debates in depth – What was proposed? Who supported it, who opposed it, and why?
    • Ensure both sides are represented fairly.
    • Where possible, contrast multiple perspectives in a way that brings the argument to life.
  4. Explain why it matters – What impact will these decisions have on residents?
  5. Write in a natural, engaging style – No bullet points, just a well-structured article.
  6. Make it longer if needed – Don’t sacrifice depth. If the meeting was complex, make the summary more detailed.

At the end of this prompt, the full transcript retrieved from YouTube is appended for AI reference.

Each blog post includes a link to the full transcript, so readers can verify details or explore the discussion further.

⚠️ AI-Generated Summaries Warning:
These summaries are created by AI. Use them as a guide to decide which parts of the video or transcript you want to check yourself.

 

 

Feel free to discuss local politics here! And if you see something important, consider tipping off a human journalist—The Indiana Daily Student posts online and seems open to story suggestions.

Operating costs are about $5/month, which I’m happy to cover.

Love to my fellow townsfolk—thanks for caring about our community and working to make it better!

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