This news-based dating app might be the most D.C. thing ever
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Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
A new matchmaking app wants to connect locals over a classic D.C. hobby: being obsessed with the news.
The big picture: This comes as many Washingtonians are increasingly turning to IRL meet-up events thanks to dating app burnout and a loneliness crisis.
Driving the news: The app InPress recently soft-launched only to people living in D.C., co-founder Adam Harder tells Axios.
- It's free to use, but when it officially launches next month, a $20 monthly premium subscription will be available with features like unlimited matches.
How it works: The goal of InPress is twofold: get more people to read "accountable, factual" news and foster deeper connections, says Harder, who was previously an Air Force broadcast journalist.
The app includes a news aggregation platform similar to Apple News, showing users a variety of articles from different outlets.
- After reading an article, users share how interesting they found it and how important its topics are to them.
- This information is then used to match users via shared interests and passions.
Friction point: The group doesn't want to exacerbate existing partisan divides and news echo chambers, Harder tells Axios, so it vets the outlets it features for neutrality via the platform Ad Fontes Media.
- And its algorithm doesn't weigh political interests as heavily as others when creating matches.
- The hope is that people will connect on quirkier, fun things.
What they're saying: "Maybe you love the 9:30 Club and, I don't know, surfing, but I want to know how you also feel about something silly, like corn dogs," says Harder.
- "Those more juicy, nuanced interests are what are really going to drive conversations."
Plus: It's not just for dating — you can opt to look for friendship matches.
The intrigue: Harder and co-founder Alex Long picked D.C. as the app's launch city because they're both familiar with it — Long lives here, and Harder used to live here — and because D.C. is notoriously news-obsessed.
The bottom line: While many D.C. singles are feeling burnt out on dating apps, Harder hopes InPress will be a breath of fresh air because users won't have to rely solely on a carefully cultivated profile and endless swiping.
- "They can just be themselves, and we reward them for being the them that they are when no one else is around."