Craigslist founder planning Net-based news venture

Craig Newmark, the San Francisco engineer who created the popular Craigslist Internet site, is getting involved in the news game.

Newmark, whose free Web site listings have wreaked havoc with the newspaper business model over the past few years, acknowledged Wednesday that he is working with other people on a new media venture involving "technologies that promise to help people find the most trusted versions of the more important stories."

Newmark, who was en route from England Wednesday, wrote in his blog, or online journal, that the initiative is "not associated with Craigslist, just me, trying to help." In a subsequent call to The Chronicle, Newmark said, "There is confusion about this thing being my effort, whereas I’m just a minor contributor to a second effort."

Dan Fost, Chronicle Staff Writer

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