The Wired City, a book by Dan Kennedy that came out this year, examines some successful independent local news sites. The most prominent example he cites is the New Haven Independent, a personal favorite run by longtime journalist Paul Bass. That site is remarkable for its community engagement and high standards.
Bass started the site in 2005 with this motto: “Power of the press now belongs not to those who own one, but to those who own a modem.We own a modem.”
The Wired City also examines sites like The Batavian in upstate New York and The Voice of San Diego.
It’s always smart to examine how successful entrepreneurs got started. The Batavian’s Howard Owens posted his 10 tips for founding a site here.
Hyperlocal Lessons From The Huffpost Deal
Arianna Huffington
On Monday, AOL announced that it had agreed to buy the Huffington Post for $315 million. The deal is worth watching for hyperlocal editors, if only because there’s a new boss at Patch.com, the most ambitious corporate version of hyperlocal news in the country. Patch runs about 800 hyperlocal sites across the country, including some in New York (mostly in Queens and Brooklyn). Continue reading »