I am in a huge battle with this right now. There is one local news source in about a 30-40,000 people area. I started the GoBurley.com site, and the paper has blasted us, and tried to discredit what we are doing in their opinion section (without given people the name of the site)

Well, last week a group of people started to boycott the paper and those who advertise in it. His column today whined about how if he goes, there in no local news/advertising.

So, here is an idea for local news blogs, do a weekly/monthly print mailer that has advertising spots and story teasers, run them around to people’s doors, if you got cash mail them, and then point everyone back to your site. I think there is still room for print papers and credibility that comes from them. Advertisers enjoy knowing that their name is going in someones mailbox and can actually be quite lucrative.

great blog. just like the rest of traditional media, local newspapers feel threatened. local papers are usually THE authority on local news. this informational monopoly sometimes leads to a bit of an ego problem. they aren’t used to competition from “bloggers” and “tweeters” who are providing great value to the community.

unfortunately local papers are squandering the ever-fleeting moment to take advantage of this media revolution. local newspapers could leverage their long-standing credibility by embracing local bloggers, but instead they complain and lament.

“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody had decided not to see.”