Newsletter Generation

Newsletter Generation

Overview

Generates professional, well-researched newsletters combining curated content from multiple sources with original analysis and commentary. Follows modern newsletter best practices (Morning Brew, The Hustle, TLDR, Benedict Evans).

Output is a complete, ready-to-publish newsletter in Markdown.

When to Use

• User asks to generate a newsletter, email digest, or content roundup
• User requests a curated summary of news or developments on a topic
• User wants to create a recurring newsletter format
• User asks to compile recent developments into a briefing
• User asks for a "weekly roundup", "monthly digest", or "morning briefing"

Newsletter Workflow

Phase 1: Planning

Identify:

• Topic(s): main subject(s) of the newsletter
• Format: daily digest, weekly roundup, deep-dive, industry briefing
• Audience: technical, executive, general
• Tone: informative, casual, analytical
• Length: target word count or item count

Phase 2: Research & Curation

Use web_search + browse_page to gather content:

1. Search broadly for recent developments on the topic
2. Fetch full articles with browse_page on promising results
3. Curate 5-10 items worth featuring — prioritize:
   • Breaking news / announcements
   • Original analysis / thought leadership
   • Data releases / reports
   • Interesting perspectives
4. Extract key facts from each source: headline, key point, why it matters
5. Verify claims with a second source where possible

Phase 3: Writing

Structure the newsletter:

# [Newsletter Name] — [Date]

## This Week's Headline
[1-2 sentence hook for the top story]

---

## Top Stories

### 1. [Headline]
[2-3 sentence summary of the story]
**Why it matters**: [1 sentence on significance]
[Source](URL)

### 2. [Headline]
[...]

### 3. [Headline]
[...]

---

## Quick Hits
- [Brief item with link](URL)
- [Brief item with link](URL)
- [Brief item with link](URL)

---

## Deep Dive: [Topic]
[Longer analysis section on one key topic — 200-400 words.
Original commentary, not just summary. Add your perspective on
what this means for the audience.]

---

## Quote of the Week
> "[Notable quote]" — [Attribution](URL)

---

## Coming Up Next Week
[1-2 sentence preview of expected developments]

---

*Curated by [Agent Name]. [Subscribe](link) | [Archive](link)*

Writing Principles

• Lead with value: each item should answer "why does this matter to me?"
• Scannable: headlines + bold key points + short paragraphs
• Original commentary: don't just summarize — add perspective
• Attribution: link to every source
• Consistent voice: match the chosen tone throughout
• Forward-looking: end with what to watch for

Phase 4: Review & Format

• Check all links work
• Verify facts against sources
• Ensure consistent formatting (headlines, bullets, spacing)
• Preview in Markdown renderer if possible

Phase 5: Save & Present

Save to .poirot/outputs/newsletter-{topic}-{YYYYMMDD}.md via write_file. Present via present_files.

Newsletter Formats

Pitfalls

• Too many items: 5-10 is the sweet spot. More dilutes value.
• No original commentary: a link dump isn't a newsletter. Add perspective.
• Stale news: verify items are recent (within the newsletter's cadence window).
• No "why it matters": readers skim. Each item needs a significance hook.
• Inconsistent tone: match the audience. Executive briefing ≠ casual blog.
• Missing attribution: every claim links to its source.