I think hyperlocal news is an exciting new direction that journalism could go in. I think it’s especially great for small towns, and it’s an informative and interesting new supplement to the national news. There are many good sides to this type of journalism, but there are also some issues that need addressing.
One of these issues is the lack of technical resources in these sites. If you look at them you will be able to notice that they aren’t exactly the most aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. This is because of the sites lack of resources. After all, it is meant to be a news source, so many of the people working on the site are journalists without much idea as to how a website layout should be formed. Many people may be turned off by the look of the site, and not bother to read its content. Another problem with local journalism is the small audience. There really might not be that many people in a small county who care enough to read national news, never mind local news. It’s also difficult to get the word out there about these sites. They don’t have much money to advertise, so they have to gain exposure mainly by word of mouth. These sites also have a lack of competition. They don’t cover national news stories, so it’s not as though they are competing with large news sources, and the odds are very slim that another small site is going to cover the same news stories as them. Competition is a main component in the media. It motivates journalists to do their best work in a timely fashion. Writers for a small hyperlocal site may not have the same drive to produce top notch work. Another problem with small, localized websites is their bias. Alysaa mentions this in one of her latest posts. If many people in one town are of a certain race, religion, political view, or what have you, then the paper is going to have a bias leaning towards their views. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because the readers are going to read the site more if they can agree with what it’s saying, but it may not hold the site to a high journalistic standard.
A major problem with hyperlocal journalism is finding companies who are willing to advertise on these sites. Without a large financial backing or advertisers, it is nearly impossible for these small site to survive. Unfortunately, some large companies with some extra money are willing to invest in these sites hoping that they will be able to turn a quick profit. The possibilities to make a large profit are definitely there, but the site needs to be cared for, and not seen as simply a tiny project to get money for a larger paper or company. As The Washington Post found out, theses sites have to be a main priority, and not just a side venture. The Post had to close down their site LoundounExtra.com, which was a hyperlocal news site covering Loundoun County, VA. The Post found that the site was expensive and tough to update “the large amount of special features and technologies”. Analyst Greg Sterling stated that “the model works only if a bunch of sales people pound the pavement, or if a company like AOL with a network of large advertisers offers them geo-targeted ads as part of a bigger package”. In other words, the Post didn’t want to put in the effort needed to make the site work.
As well as the cons, there are many pros to hyperlocalized journalism. Journalists are going to care more about what is happening in their own backyard than what is happening in a different country. They’re probably going to be pretty knowledgeable about their own town and it’s happenings. These journalists are also going to be invested in their work. They most likely will either be young journalists, or out of work journalists trying to find work. They obviously care about their work if they’re willing to write for such a small medium. These journalists aren’t able to grab a story off the AP wire and run with it. They must do much more legwork to find truly interesting and unique stories about their own community.
When these sites are given a certain amount of attention they can become successful, as seen with CTNewsJunkie.com. Christine Stewart, the editor and reporter for the site, said that it was challenging to get the site off the ground and running. She has managed to make the site successful by hiring unpaid interns, not paying herself, and paying out of her own pocket to back the site. People like Stewart are the reason why some smaller sites are able to thrive.
Tina's Thoughts 