Lately there have been a lot of happenings in the world of hyper-local citizen journalism projects. The venture-funded Backfence series of sites crashed and burned, Pegasus News was sold to Fisher Communications, and the Washington Post launched its first hyper-local effort, LoudonExtra. The idea behind many of these sites is to capture the smaller stories that newspapers, TV and radio can't cover because they happen at the neighborhood level. They also aim to get average citizens involved in the process of gathering and reporting what's happening. The problem is that there is no easy business model for these sites, and they require a lot of effort in community organizing and outreach. (Check this MediaShift post on some of the lessons learned by pioneers.) But I'm wondering where you go to get your hyper-local news: a community newspaper, the coffee shop, a local blog or website or somewhere else? What would you want to see in an ideal hyper-local site covering your own neighborhood? Share your thoughts in the comments below and I'll run a selection of them in the next Your Take Roundup.
What's your favorite way of getting hyper-local or neighborhood news?
by Mark Glaser, July 23, 2007
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