We have been keeping an eye on the health and future of local news. Is local news dying? Are we going to be reliant on social media and gossip for local information? In the past we have had local reporters in the library to talk about the issue (listen here: Online Audio: Hyperlocal or Just Hyper? Future of Journalism). We have also posted about the future of the local news website The Patch (see What Does the End of the Patch Mean for Our Area?).
Local news (more specifically, local reporting) matters and has a great deal of value in how we run local government, schools, and community organizations. Understanding the “truth” that is based in sources beyond simple gossip matters.
Recently, the Patch (which has become a local source of information was sold by AOL (see Chicago Tribune: AOL surrenders control of Patch in joint venture). It is still not clear that the local Patch can earn enough money to stay around into the future.
With all this being said, I wanted to share this On the Media piece about the future of Hyperlocal media. Great thinking here about how local media is changing.
On the Media: A CASE OF THE HYPERLOCAL COOTIES
Here’s a list of the local Patch sites.
–Palos Patch (Twitter: @PalosPatch)
–Orland Patch (Twitter: @OrlandPatch)
–Tinley Park Patch (Twitter: @TinleyParkPatch)