Hyperlocal: Not for the Faint of Heart

American Journalism Review has an article out that is far from earth-shattering, but I think it does a fair job of summarizing the state of local news sites/blogs at the moment. In a phrase: “not for the faint of heart.”

At this moment, news organizations and startups across the country are betting heavily that hyperlocal news sites will solve the needs of both consumers and advertisers. But this path is littered with false starts and failures, some quite fresh. In June, the New York Times handed the keys to its New Jersey community news site to the hyperlocal veterans at Baristanet.com, after turning over its Brooklyn community site to journalism grad students at City University of New York.

Other news organizations have launched and abandoned hyperlocal efforts over the years, some big like the Washington Post, others small and unknown. The managers of these projects tend to leave a common admonition to those who would follow: Hyperlocal is difficult, expensive and not for the faint of heart.

I’d put an asterisk next to “expensive” in that sentence, actually. It doesn’t take a lot of money to setup a hosting account somewhere and install Wordpress. That’s all you need to start publishing. The tools of the trade don’t need to be wallet-busters, either. But to do hyperlocal right, it’s certainly expensive in terms of how much time you spend.

The full article is here: The Hazards of Hyperlocal. And there’s more on Mediagazer, too.

August 31, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | 2 Comments 

Thanks, PBS MediaShift

mediashiftJust wanted to say a quick and public THANK YOU to Brad Flora and PBS MediaShift for including Hyperlocal Blogger in an article last week:

10 Must-Read Sites for Hyper-Local Publishers

That was a real surprise and honor to see this blog included on such a list with so many excellent industry sites. If you’re reading this, I assume you already know enough about Hyperlocal Blogger — so be sure to check out the other nine sites when you can.

August 30, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | 2 Comments 

Hyperlocal News Roundup

newsstandLots and lots of links this week. You may recall us trying to define “hyperlocal” previously here on HLB, and also linking out to others (Lost Remote) as they had similar discussions. One of the links below is Sarah Hartley’s “10 Characteristics of Hyperlocal.” Good read with some interesting ideas and discussion in the comments.

August 29, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | Leave a Comment 

Is Yahoo Going Hyperlocal?

Why not!? Everyone else is, right?

Alan Mutter writes today about Yahoo looking to hire writers to be part of a local news site in San Francisco. It’s related to Yahoo’s recent purchase of Associated Content. From Alan’s article:

In a breathless email blast to registered contributors at Associated Content, Yahoo said it is “looking for writers living in or near the San Francisco area (like you!) to write compelling, local content — ranging from highlights of your favorite neighborhood destinations to metro-wide, first-person reporting assignments covering the stories and topics not typically found in mainstream news media.”

Yahoo already is a bit of a player in the local news space. It offers local news right on the www.yahoo.com home page, even.

yahoo

Yahoo has also been hiring digital journalists for several months now to bolster is news-related content. In mid-January, Yahoo News’s Andrew Golis wrote on his personal blog about needing to hire five new bloggers:

I’m looking to build a team of voracious news consumers with an eye for a good story angle and the ability to write in tight, engaging prose. Each blogger should have both reporting and online news experience, broad interests, and the ability to write for a general, non-expert audience. Our office will be virtual, so the ability to juggle instant messenger, email, the phone, and the TV simultaneously is essential. These are jobs for a multitasking, obsessive news junkies with a common touch.

Now, those five positions he referred to were all national-level bloggers for Yahoo News. But, based on what Alan Mutter writes about today, it seems like Yahoo News is now pushing its coverage further into the hyperlocal space. San Francisco first … and perhaps many more to come after that.

Update: PaidContent points out that Yahoo is also advertising for editors in San Jose, Chicago and Dallas.

(there’s more discussion on MediaGazer)

August 26, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | 4 Comments 

Philly Bloggers Feeling Overtaxed

Some local bloggers in Philadelphia are angry about getting a tax bill from the city. Philadelphia telling bloggers that reported business income that they have to pay what’s called a Business Privilege License. It costs $50/year or $300 for a lifetime.

The issue seems to be that some affected bloggers are making peanuts from having ads (usually Google ads, I’d assume) — not even enough to pay for the license. From an AP story this week:

“I think it’s ludicrous,” said Seano Barry, whose blog Circle of Fits focuses on music in Philadelphia and offers up concert and music reviews.

“I review shows in the city. I sometimes write for a couple of other blogs,” he told The AP. “Sometimes I get access to the shows, sometimes I don’t. To put the ads up is to cover the cost of going downtown.”

In the last two years, Barry said he’s made about $11 and change from the tiny ads on his site, nothing else.

“This is not a business,” he said. “Really, it’s a labor of love.”

A couple Philadelphia council members are wanting to amend the law so that small businesses and bloggers won’t have to pay tax on small amounts of income. But the $50/$300 license would still apply, from what I’m reading in that story.

I see both sides on this. I have ads on my small business SEO blog, but I’m certainly not getting rich from them. I do report that income, though, and pay all necessary taxes to Uncle Sam. The law is the law. Until it changes, the Philly bloggers should do the same.

U2 fanzinesOn the other hand, the city needs to recognize that the act of placing Google ads on a web site doesn’t automatically make you a business owner. For many, blogging is like what print fanzines used to be. (That’s a 1994 U2 fanzine at right.) Back in the day, fanzine publishers had to charge $5 or $10 per issue because it cost money to buy paper, to buy ink, to make copies, and to send out their fanzine via snail mail. But no one would confuse those folks with real business owners.

Some local blogs are the same way now: hosting costs money, cheap digital cameras cost money, gas to go to local events, parking, etc. — they all cost money. Putting Google ads isn’t about running a business for some, it’s about trying to cover costs. And those folks shouldn’t be forced to pay a Business Privilege License fee.

August 24, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | 1 Comment 

Hyperlocal News Roundup

newsstandHere’s another batch of good articles worth checking out during the coming week. The astute reader will notice something a little different below: I’ve added a couple links to Wordpress-related articles. In the past, these link roundups have pretty much always been heavy on the hyperlocal and a bit light on the blogging. So, going forward, I hope to add in links that are about blogging for some better balance.

August 22, 2010 | Filed Under Industry | 1 Comment 

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