Outside the local train station, the Maplewood Civic Association maintains a bulletin board plastered with news of jazz festivals and yoga classes for this small, affluent New Jersey town. One day last winter, an unassuming new flyer appeared, nestled between ones hawking a fish tank and a drum set, titled, "Introducing the Local." The flyer describes the Local as "a community Web site by you and for these communities, mentored by The New York Times."
Why is a media titan like The New York Times Co. -- already stretched thin by the challenges of a faltering business model -- dabbling in community news, traditionally the bottom of the journalistic food chain? Call it the Google Effect. The search giant's model, described by author John Battelle as "a billion dollars, one nickel at a time," is a perfect description of how media companies hope to take tiny sources of local revenue and roll them up into big money.
Hyperlocal sites -- covering cities, towns, or just a neighborhood -- can deliver precision-targeted advertising to local and global businesses. As the once-exponential growth rate for most Internet advertising in the United States grinds to a halt, the online local-advertising market is projected to grow 5.4% in 2009 to $13.3 billion, according to media research firm Borrell Associates.
As it happens, one of the architects of Google's success, former head of advertising Tim Armstrong, founded a community-news site called Patch that intends to collect those nickels. Armstrong, in his new role as the CEO of AOL, acquired Patch in one of his first moves. And where, of all places, has Patch set up shop? Maplewood.
Hyperlocal seems like a can't-miss proposition. "There is real demand for good information about our neighborhoods, our children's schools, our streets, our blocks," says Jay Rosen, an NYU journalism professor and media blogger. Except for one thing: Success remains perpetually around the corner, constantly predicted yet never fulfilled. While different people have named hyperlocal as a trend to watch every year since 2004, "everybody's groping for a business model," says Gordon Joseloff, who fits the all-too-typical norm for this space with his popular, distinguished, and unprofitable site in Westport, Connecticut. The Local and Patch -- and by extension, the Times and AOL -- may, too, be destined to find the same trouble.
It is no accident that the Local and Patch each selected Maplewood as its hyperlocal testing ground. Patch engineers "had a computer model of the different factors they wanted," says Adam Bulger, the self-described "midlevel reporter" who covers Maplewood for Patch. The algorithm looks for civic-minded towns with a central business district instead of a series of strip malls, and high broadband penetration, which correlates with a burg's affluence.
The Local's Maplewood editor, Times metro-desk alumna Tina Kelley, lists the same traits, as well as the fact that the town is something of a "reporter's enclave." This combination of local features means, of course, that these neighborhoods are likely to have an already-crowded local blogosphere, poised to brand the new ventures as carpetbaggers. When the Local was first announced in Maplewood, the largest of the town's many home-brewed sites, Maplewood Online, hosted a very active conversation in the "Now the NY Times Invades MOL's Turf" thread of its community message board. In one of Bulger's first weeks on the job, a prankster annoyed with Patch's colonial ambitions tried to trick him into posting a story about local gangs whose leaders happened to share the names of characters from the movie Ghostbusters. The Local has encountered similar resistance to its two sites in blog-filled Brooklyn as well. "They're worried," explains the Local's Kelley, "about the big media companies coming in and taking up [their local sites'] advertising dollars."
When AOL announced the Patch deal, CEO Armstrong called local advertising "the largest white space" for the company moving forward. "Hyperlocal is going to be a huge, huge market," says Mark Josephson, CEO of the hyperlocal aggregator Outside.in. "Local advertisers are not online in a major way yet -- like they're going to be."
Boosters routinely note that more than $100 billion is spent annually on local ads -- TV, radio, print, outdoor, direct mail, and online. Although the stat's origins are fuzzy, what's clear is how aggressively folks believe those ad dollars are migrating to the Web. Borrell Associates projects an online local-ad market worth $15.5 billion by 2013, fueled mostly by small businesses ditching the Yellow Pages and local newspapers.
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 29 Total
August 14, 2009 at 9:51am by dennis mcdonald
Seems odd that someone familiar with the newspaper business could have written this story without at least some reference to community and local newspapers.
August 17, 2009 at 5:34pm by Paul Maiorana
In other hyperlocal-news news, MSNBC announced today that they're acquiring EveryBlock.com, another site in that space.
http://www.techmeme.com/090817/p47#a090817p47
August 18, 2009 at 3:44am by Randy White
Bright Neighbor will be next.
August 19, 2009 at 11:14am by Paul Baron
We at Hometowntimes.com already have a successful business model/platform that is currently operating in 524 cities across the US - most at the hyper local level <100K, finding its audience, readership, and delivering real local content of value from local editors/publishers and original content sources. To the point of several comments, the stakeholder and commitment is important to the success of the site and we have also solved that concern or 'issue' with our 'franchise' business model. Having just begun, the jury is out whether the owner will be the journalist/reporter or a business manager or another local business operator. In any case, we're pleased with the early results, as are our franchisees. And we are capable of ramping up our services to far more local communities in virtually no time at all with a proven, replicable model.
August 23, 2009 at 10:11am by Tim Streightiff
These sites are popping up everywhere. A fairly new one based in Washington, DC (http://www.yournewcity.com)looks at providing this information to folks who are looking to move to DC. Great place to look for information if you are planning the move.
August 28, 2009 at 6:58pm by Harish Keshwani
Omaha, Nebraska has one such start-up (WikiCity) that is using a wiki model coupled with news, feeds from local bloggers and twitter, serving entire United States. In many rural areas, in absence of print newspapers, it doubles up as a local, online newspaper.
September 25, 2009 at 9:21pm by soundwel soundwel
If you are the users of HD Camcorders like Sony, Canon, Panasonic, this HD Video Converter is necessary to help us convert hd Video easily and quickly. The Converter for HD provides several practical editing functions to help you achieve ideal output effect. Trim function is to cut videos into clips which you can just convert and transfer to your player. Crop function helps you remove black bars around the movie. You could use Effect function to adjust video brightness, contrast, saturation and more parameters. More powerful and considerate functions are waiting for you to explore.MOD Converter AND H.264 Converter
October 8, 2009 at 12:33pm by compiknews compiknewsss
Second essential problem that girls russian dating com may run into by going to another
October 8, 2009 at 12:45pm by compiknews compiknewsss
Next essential problem that women russian dating website can run into by going to another country is of course - relationship with their future husbands. In compliance
October 8, 2009 at 12:54pm by compiknews compiknewsss
are connected with the attacks on the foreign brides. Part russian dating bride of them are beaten or even murdered. Such cases about unsuccessful wedlock become frequently
October 8, 2009 at 12:59pm by compiknews compiknewsss
The next danger is related to men free russian dating site. Amid the Americans, who want to wed Russian women
October 20, 2009 at 5:07am by jessic smith
Plentiful optimal profiles are provided for beginners to easily choose proper one and finish the conversion without further settings.M2TS Converter for Mac
October 28, 2009 at 2:33am by john ben
IVR Converter is an excellent IVR Converter software for you which can convert .ivr files to nearyl all video format files.
RM Converter for Mac,
RM Converter for Windows
October 29, 2009 at 4:55am by hqconverter hqconverter
H264 Converter (H.264 Converter) is a powerful video converter that supports H.264 videos. It is designed to convert H.264 videos to AVI, MPEG, FLV, etc. and convert videos of any format to H.264 video. It provides the fastest way to convert H.264 video.
More Info:
H264 Converter for Mac,
H264 Video Converter
October 30, 2009 at 3:00am by cocococo013 li
CDG Converter is a powerful converter. It can convert CDG files into various formats such as AVI, DVD, MP4, WMV, Flash, MOV, 3GP, Blu-ray, etc. CDG Converter also provides; free download version. ALL KEY FORMATS ARE SUPPORTED! In one word, the adoption of CDG Converter can bring you colorful life.
CDG Converter also have editing functions of great power, riping and burning; personal DVDs, converting video, creating HD Video, spliting, joining, applying effects, copying to mobile devices and so on-all on your will.
CDG Converter,
CDG Ripper,
CDG to AVI Converter,
November 5, 2009 at 3:39am by shao miao
iPod Ripper Mac
November 6, 2009 at 12:33am by shao miao
Mac TOD Converter
November 9, 2009 at 1:54am by hqconverter hqconverter
iPod to PC Transfer
November 10, 2009 at 2:54am by hqconverter hqconverter
DVD Video Copier,
November 11, 2009 at 9:14pm by jessic smith
Powerful video editing functions are also provided by MOD File Converter, you can trim video length, crop video screen area, merge videos and so on.
You can also use Free AMV Converter to edit videos before converting. All common video editing functions can be achieved, like trimming, cropping, merging, adjusting effect, etc.
November 11, 2009 at 10:34pm by jessic smith
PowerPoint to DVD Converter is a powerful PowerPoint to DVD software to convert PowerPoint to DVD video and turn PowerPoint into DVD. If you wonder how to put PowerPoint onto a DVD for playback on home DVD players, please have a try with this tool.
Leawo PowerPoint to AVI Converter is designed to convert PowerPoint slideshow to AVI and other popular video formats, such as PowerPoint to WMV, FLV, MP4, MOV, etc.
November 13, 2009 at 1:17am by hqconverter hqconverter
M4R Converter Mac, a smart iPhone ringtone maker and uploader, provides an all-in-one iPhone Ringtone solution for Apple Mac users. With this Mac M4R Converter, you can create your own M4R iPhone ringtones from all mainstream audio files such as purchased songs, itunes music and MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, M4A, RA, RAM, AC3, MP2. It can also extract m4r ringtone from all video files including AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX, MP4, H.264/AVC, AVCHD, MKV, RM, MOV, XviD, 3GP.
m4r converter is also a M4R maker software, which is designed to convert video and audio files of any format to M4R file which can be directly set as iPhone ringtone. For example, it helps convert MP3 to M4R, AAC to M4R, M4A to M4R. If you are looking for a free MP3 to M4R converter for iPhone ringtones, please have a try with this one.
November 18, 2009 at 3:15am by bodom bodom
QuickTime Converter for Mac, known as Mac quicktime converter, has powerful function of converting between all conventional video and audio formats, such as MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, Divx, MPEG-1/2, 3GP, 3G2, VOB etc. What's more, the Mac quicktime mov converter can also convert video to audio formats, such as MP3, AAC, AC3 and so on.
Have you ever dreamed of making movies by yourself? If you want to realize the beautiful dream, let me show you the wonderful tool---QuickTime Movie Converter for Mac. The quicktime converter for Mac can convert all different formats of movie, such as MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, Divx, MPEG-1/2, 3GP, 3G2, VOB etc. Furthermore, with the help of quicktime media converter os x, you could edit the video files according to your own need.
November 20, 2009 at 1:07am by bodom bodom
iPhone 3G Ringtone Maker, the best ringtone maker expert, enables you to make whatever ringtone you like. The powerful 3G iPhone ringtone maker, can convert a variety of video and audio formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, H.264/MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, RMVB, MP3, WMA, AAC to iPhone Ringtone M4R and transfer to iPhone directly without iTunes.
The iPhone 3G Ringtone Maker for Mac, professionally designed for Mac users, can create all kinds of ringtone for iPhone owners. If you are one of the owners, the iphone 3g ringtone maker for mac is the best choice for you to make dulcet and unique ringtone by yourself.
With the iPhone Ringtone Converter 3G, you are allowed to clip any segment of the video or audio files and convert it to iPhone. It's a good idea to clip the most wonderful part and convert it to iphone 3g ringtone. Using the software, you are free to edit the added iPhone ringtone by removing it or renaming it directly. Besides, it is very easy to operate. All you need to do is just a few clicks to convert iphone 3g ringtones.
With 3G iPhone Ringtone Creator, you will be able to select any video and audio files, including AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, H.264/MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, RMVB, MP3, WMA, AAC and transform it into 3G iPhone Ringtone. What's more, you can also choose any part of the song you want.
iPhone 3G M4R Converter, also known as M4R converter for iPhone 3G, is an excellent software to convert almost all video and audio formats to M4R formats. The powerful input video and audio formats are beyond your imagination, such as, AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, H.264/MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, RMVB, MP3, WMA, AAC etc.
Convert MP3 to iPhone 3G Ringtone is professionally designed for iPhone 3G users. It can not only convert mp3 formats to iphone 3g ringtone with ease but can convert a wide range of video and audio files, including AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, MKV, H.264/MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, RMVB, WMA, AAC to M4R files that could be used as the ringtone.
M4A to iPhone 3G Ringtone Converter is designed specially to convert M4A to iPhone ringtone. Besides, it can also convert the other audio formats, such as MP3, WMA, AAC etc. to M4R as the ringtone for iPhone 3G. So you can use it not only to convert M4A to iPhone 3G ringtone, but also can easily convert your favorite MP3 or WMA songs to M4r as your ringtone.
Most people get their favorite ringtone by paying on the Internet every month. But now, we have an excellent creator which could free provide you any ringtone you want. The creator is MP4 to iPhone 3G Ringtone Converter.
November 20, 2009 at 1:12am by bodom bodom
MKV Converter is the best mkv video converter software that created to help you convert mkv video files to MP4/MKV/WMV/AVI and other popular formats such as: MP4, H.264, AVI, MP3, WMV, WMA, FLV, MKV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, 3GPP, VOB, DivX, Mov, RM, RMVB, M4A, AAC, WAV, etc with high speed and excellent sound/image quality.
MKV Converter is powerful and useful MKV Converter that make you Convert MKV File a enjoy thing, it is produced to help you convert MKV file to MP4, H.264, AVI, MP3, WMV, WMA, FLV, MKV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, 3GPP, VOB, DivX, Mov, RM, RMVB, M4A, AAC, WAV, etc with high speed and excellent sound/image quality.
With MKV Converter, you can conveniently Convert Video to MKV as well as crop the play region or cut any part of the video into MKV(Matroska Video) video clips by setting up the start and end time after preview. While the image quality is high, the conversion speed is very fast.
MKV Converter for Mac is a excellent Mac MKV Converter. This versatile MKV Converter Mac can convert between MKV and all popular video, HD video and audio formats with super fast conversion speed and satisfied output quality. In addition, the MKV converter for Mac can also extract audio from video file and convert video to MP3, AC3, and AAC… as you want.
MKV Video Converter is the Best Video Converter software that invented to help you convert MKV to AVC H264 with high speed and excellent sound/image quality.
MKV to HD Video is designed to convert .bdmv and m2ts file, it can convert the BDMV files to MKV format. BDMV folder and .bdmv files are mostly seen in the Blu-ray disc (BD) content and AVCHD video folder. There usually is a index.bdmv file in the root directory, while BDMV folder contains video, audio, menu, subtitles, playlist and other stream.
MKV to Portable Devices is the protable player video converter software that created to help you convert MKV to all the popular iPod formats such as: iPod Video, iPod Touch MPEG-4, iPod Touch, iPod Touch for TV, iPod Nano, iPod Classic, etc. with high speed and excellent sound/image quality.
MKV Editing Software is the Best Video Joiner software that created to help you join MKV files and and then convert them to other popular formats such as: MP4, H.264, AVI, MP3, WMV, WMA, FLV, MKV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, 3GPP, VOB, DivX, Mov, RM, RMVB, M4A, AAC, WAV, etc with high speed and excellent sound/image quality.
November 20, 2009 at 9:11am by Jim pedd
Just as some cities' newspapers sputter, a handful of Web sites emerge to cull local content from government data, blogs and news media.
identity theft protection service
November 23, 2009 at 4:17am by bodom bodom
TOD Converter Mac is a professional TOD converter to convert high definition video files captured by JVC TOD Camcorders, ie: GZ-HD7, GZ-HD3, GZ-HD5, GZ-HD6, GZ-HD30, GZ-HD40 etc. These HD files can be converted into MPG, AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, RM, FLV, SWF and more, which delights many JVC TOD Camcorders.
TOD File Converter Mac supports trimming, cropping and you also can add effect and special effects in synchronization with conversion. Those functions of TOD File Converter Mac could better adjust converted files to portable mediaplayers you have and make it more satisfying to your needs.
To solve the inconvinience of .TOD files, I strongly recommend you TOD Editor Mac which is all-round, multiprofile-supporting, free trial, virus-free, easy-to-use. So it is easy to understand why TOD Editor Mac is popular in JVC camcorder users.
We introduce you a powerfull Convert TOD To AVI Mac Converter, which can trim, crop tod files, add effect or special effect to tod, take snapshots from tod movie...Smoothly converting, easy-to-use, mutual-convert-supported, Convert TOD To AVI Mac can fullfill your needs.
Convert TOD To MPEG Mac enables you convert .TOD to other common formats like avi,mpg,mp4,mov that denefinitly supported by iMovie and FCP. The Converter (TOD To MPEG) uses least time and give out highoutput video quality. You can also extract audio from .Tod and take snapshots at will.
Convert TOD To MOV Mac will convert high definition video files captured by JVC TOD Camcorders, ie: GZ-HD7, GZ-HD3, GZ-HD5, GZ-HD6, GZ-HD30, GZ-HD40 etc. TOD file formats cannot usually be edited with consumer video editing programs such as Windows Movie Maker, Apple Movie or Sony Vegas but iOrgsoft TOD Converter can.
Convert TOD To MP4 Mac utility, which is powerfull TOD converter, could convert TOD to MP4 on Mac freely on your will. You can also take snapshots and store them in different image formats: jpg, bmp, png. Convert TOD To MP4 for Mac has professional editing functions like trimming, adding effects, adjusting aspect ratio, croping,etc.
Convert TOD To FLV Mac program can convert between many formats like MPG, AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, RM, FLV, SWF and more. Being accepted by iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, Blackberry, Gphone, PSP, Zune, Creative Zen, iRiver and any other MP4 players, Convert TOD To FLV Mac can output files with unpreceded compatibility.
November 23, 2009 at 4:20am by bodom bodom
MP3 Converter Mac is an excellent Mac MP3 converter tool that can convert video files and audio files to MP3 on Mac OS. If you are looking for MP3 file converter for Mac users, it is the ideal one.
MP3 Editor Mac is designed to help you edit MP3 files on Mac OS. It is the best Mac MP3 editor tool, that can function as Mac OS X MP3 splitter and MP3 joiner Mac.
If you want to convert WMA into MP3 on Mac OS, this WMA to MP3 Converter for Mac will be your best tool. With professional codecs integrated, it can finish all conversions with fast speed and excellent sound quality.
If you want to convert WMA into MP3 on Mac OS, this WAV to MP3 Converter for Mac will be your best tool. With professional codecs integrated, it can finish all conversions with fast speed and excellent sound quality.
Is there a Mac CDA to MP3 converter to convert CDA to MP3 files on Mac OS? Surely yes, this CDA to MP3 Converter for Mac is exactly this kind of tool. Free download CDA to MP3 converter Mac and have a try.
AAC to MP3 Converter for Mac can help you convert AAC to MP3 files on Mac OS, so that you can enjoy AAC music on your portable MP3 players. It is the most powerful and easy to use Mac AAC to MP3 converter.
As the best Mac M4P to MP3 converter, M4P to MP3 Converter for Mac can help you convert M4P files to MP3 on Mac OS with fast speed and high sound quality. It can accomplish all M4P to MP3 conversion tasks on Mac.
FLAC is the more and more popular lossless audio format, which is typically reduced to 50–60% of it original size while 100% keeping the source audio quality. While lots of devices and media players don't support the playback of FLAC files. To enjoy FLAC files more freely on Mac, you need this FLAC to MP3 Converter for Mac tool to convert FLAC to MP3 with customized encoding settings. You are also allowed to edit FLAC files as you like.