A much needed and fascinating discussion about hyperlocal news keyed off an article in the Wall Street Journal about the Washington Post’s LoudounExtra and also of Scott Karp’s analysis of how the Washington Post covered a thunderstorm.
Something tells me the Washington Post is not ready to do local. And there is a bit of gleeful unwarranted Rob Curley bashing.
Updated: Rob Curley posts about the WSJ article.
Lessons learned?
- What Newspapers Still Don’t Understand About The Web by …
- A real need for local news, “hyper” or not
- Hyperlocal hero fails, finds new job
- Now: Solve problems, fill needs, get jobs done. Later: Be cool.
- The folly of “local local”
- Washington Post’s failed hyperlocal news site was not a hyperlocal
- The Emperor Has No Clothes
- The Post’s ‘Hyperlocal Flop’
- Failing forward
- The Struggles of LoudounExtra.com
- Hyper-Local News at LoudounExtra isn’t Hyperactive
Hyperlocal effort LoudounExtra.com ‘a flop’- How Could Hyperlocal Fail?
- Hyperlocal News Fails Without Locals
- When Hyperlocal Isn’t
- Pegasus’ Orren: ‘Local Databases Key to HyperLocal’
- Curley on HyperLocal, The WaPo, and the Vegas Venture
- Looking for the Hyperlocal Magic Bullet
- Big Daily’s ‘Hyperlocal’ Flop
Here’s another link discussing the issue, from the resident experts of online marketing and activity in Loudoun County – LoudounExtra’s weakness were identified early, and played out as anticipated (with a little help).
http://www.dullessouthonline.com/loudoun_county_gateway/2008/06/loudoun-extra-welcome-to-neighborhood.html
That’s a very interesting piece and I think it highlights the competitive issues that often face perceived “outsiders.”
The existing media almost always steps up their game to face the competitive threat so it’s never as easy as it look before..
The search engine or interacting on the Web is an interesting as well.
And I think it just takes a longer time than anyone ever plans for a site to gain traction, particularly one that hopes to generate conversation. I’m not sure you can write the obit on LoudounExtra style efforts this early.
I’m sure, however, people will be dissecting the “Curley years” of LoudounExtra for years.