Not to be confused with community blogs, hyperlocal websites like EveryBlock, Outside.in, Placeblogger and Patch, aggrigate content for city neighborhoods across the country.
A profile in this morning’s NY Times shows that each of these sites takes a unique approach to news creation/gathering. Everyblock (not currently in ATL), Outside.in and Placeblogger all are powered mainly through aggregation of local blogs and news media. Everyblock actually goes one step further and also collects and posts things like police reports and restaurant inspections. Patch is more “community bloggerish”, with more original content of three NJ neighborhoods.
In Atlanta, Kim’s CommunityRadar.com is a good example of a “hyperlocal” aggregator/site. WABE is also working on a model called Lens On Atlanta, which will focus heavily on promoting discussion (with many of the same “rules” that apply on DM interestingly enough!)
Time will tell whether these sites can fill the metro area news gaps. As always, money is an issue. A couple of the sites profiled by the Times sites are sponsored by grants and foundation money, but ultimately they will need to prove profitable. Additionally content will prove challenging for those sites which don’t produce any of their own, if local newspapers keep folding.
This is certainly a trend worth watching. My major concern about these sites, in addition to the more universal ones stated above, is the ability to create a loyal, passionate online community. I think things like site origination (who created it and why?) and coverage area work against a larger site’s possible success. Many, spurred by dreams of torrents of ad revenue, try to be too many things to too many people. As a result, any sense of community is lost.
Can this deficit be overcome? Probably. We’ve sacrificed much at the alter of conveinence and profit in the past century. But I still think that the most valuable sites are the ones that sprout from within existing communities.
But does valuable = enduring?
Thanks to Judy for pointing out this article!