A deconstruction of how TBD and Patch do hyperlocal
Yesterday I said that hyperlocals must find the network if they are to be sustainable. Today I want to take you through networks like Patch and TBD.com. TBD Upon visiting TBD.com it’s hard to see how it even is hyperlocal. Under the logo we see the tagline “All over Washington” but its’s hard to see [...]
Read MoreHow hyperlocal sustainability is only possible with the network; how we’re doing that in Lichfield and with Journal Local
Networks of niches underpinned by local partnerships are, in my opinion, the way forward. What do I mean by that? A burning issue for any independent hyperlocal at the moment is sustainability including paying costs (hosting, travel, equipment etc), sourcing content, producing content, organising contributors, handling (& learning) technology. There’s a lot to consider. So [...]
Read MoreFive ways to make a difference with data – a round up of #madwdwm
As part of the Making a difference with data project I was asked to run an ‘unworkshop’ for the West Midlands which pulled together hyperlocal site owners, local government folk and data geeks. Thanks to Nick Booth‘s generosity we had a suitable venue where we could gather. We had 16 people altogether and a good mix of backgrounds. It was [...]
Read MoreShould local newspapers and hyperlocal websites be impartial?
When describing The Lichfield Blog I will often include the word ‘impartial’ into the mix. Perhaps our slogan should be ‘blog by name, news by nature’! It’s a stance decided long ago – that we would only ever tell people what’s happening and never tell them what to think about that. Instead, we allow the [...]
Read MoreFilming council meetings – my progress in Lichfield
So, after Chris Taggart was asked to leave a meeting of Windsor & Maidenhead for trying to video it, while SE1 managed to get permission to record Southwark Council meetings I decided to see what I could do in Lichfield. Here’s what I did. I sent an e-mail through Lichfield District Council’s generic contact form. [...]
Read MoreBuilding a hyperlocal business directory: call for suggestions
I’ve long been planning to build a hyperlocal directory for The Lichfield Blog and something which can be used by other hyperlocals. B31 Blog launched their business directory the other day using a simple form submission and manual entry of listings. Owner Sas Taylor complained on Twitter about the lack of a decent business directory [...]
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