Hyperlocal News

[Kelly Walker - Tintinnabulous]

Is anybody interested in discussing hyperlocal news sites?

This article is a few years old, but still offers a good overview:

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/12/your-guide-to-hyper-local-news347.html

The NYT offers a more up-to-date look, but with less emphasis in
individual efforts:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/technology/start-ups/13hyperlocal.html

I've noticed many hyperlocal news sites are light on multimedia. I've
found some traction locally focusing on a radio/podcast model and
would love to compare notes and will be happy to facilitate discussion.

[Thomas Wheatley]

Sounds great. I'd love to take a look at what's working in different cities — it looks like there might be folks from other SE states? — and also talk about how in some areas, hyperlocal might have a tough time. (Or have to compete for eyeballs and information appetites with a different beast: the always-entertaining, already established neighborhood email listservs.)

(Crosses fingers, prays today's thread doesn't turn into a repeat of Tuesday.)

--
Thomas Wheatley
(706) 296-2813

[Tanya Ott]

I'd love to chat about hyperlocal...

Tanya Ott
News Director
WBHM-FM
Birmingham, AL
205-934-2264

[Swede White]

I would like to hear a discussion about hyperlocal as well.

We are rolling out a "Pitch It!" web page and adding outside contributors to our content. I would like to hear how that can be used in producing hyperlocal news and others' experience with it.

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[mag...@bottleofink.com]

I'd love to know how it will pay ...  perhaps there are some sales/marketing folks on the list.  

The way I figure, much of journalism is a trade, like fixing cars.  One knowledgeable mechanic is about as good as another.  

But in journalism -- especially hyperlocal -- people will do a pretty good job for the low, low price of simply seeing a byline.  (This is true in wealthy, well-educated communities that I've seen -> retirees and stay-at-home parents.)

So if the readers like a mix of churn & opinion & simple 5W, the hyperlocal site doesn't need much more $ than to pay for servers & an editor/publisher/overseer.

Online training, like the Poynter Institute, can help hyperlocal journalists up their game.  Though, IMHO, you need a mentor to get good at investigation, enterprise & breaking stories -- to make yourself a star master mechanic, not just an oil-changer.  

Maybe that's good criteria for a grant:  does your hyperlocal have potential to turn out solid enterprising/breaking/investigative journalism?  If so, we grant you money and a year of an old grizzled journalist's time.

See yall!

-maggie

[Marcia Killingsworth]

At first I read this as "hyperbolic news." (Talk about projection.)  It would be interesting to see something on that as well.

 

As for "hyperlocal," everything old is new again. I began my career in the late '70s working for a very successful chain of community newspapers. Our primary beats were the County Commission and Board of Education, then whatever municipalities were in our county of coverage.

 

Our mission was for our stories to tell our readers how it affected them. Best lesson in community/local journalism I ever had. Totally made us cut through all the bureaucratic language and decisions to the real story.. Interestingly, some of the governments didn’t care for the stories that revealed how their decisions affected the people they represented.

 

That mission served me well both as a newspaper reporter and editor, and as a media relations/communications professional years later.

 

I’d be interested to hear more about what hyperlocal means now: is it the woman who typed a “help” message with her toes, or a decision by a mayor to issue bonds to create a new entertainment district instead of issuing bonds for much-needed infrastructure improvements?

 

Cheers,

 

Marcia

 

Marcia Killingsworth

Writer/Editor/Project Manager

mk...@comcast.net

404-622-3381

 

[Thomas Wheatley]

Here's a good WaPo story from today about TBD, a well-funded, cross-platform start-up covering D.C. and surrounding areas. It launches next week and will be closely watched. There's some good info about hyperlocal and new approaches this team plans to use.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080606133.html

Keep in mind that TBD is launching in media-saturated D.C. — and with the financial support of the same crew that back Politico and other media outlets. But some of the tactics — do what you do best and link to the rest — can be done anywhere. So much just depends on presentation.