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Local reporting has become an endangered occupation. Print publications merge, close down or face budget cuts because audiences and advertisers spend more time and money online. Local broadcasting has not succeeded in filling the gap in local news coverage. The result is that fewer journalists are covering local affairs. Online models were expected to take over the role of traditional media as they were more flexible and cheaper to operate, especially in terms of production and distribution while these media could also use citizen as contributors. In the Netherlands we identified 123 hyperlocal news websites with 350 editions that are more ambitious than the average blogger in terms of scope (local news), frequency (recent updates), business (advertising and other income sources), staff (participation on a regular basis) and journalistic practices (indications of professionalism). We analysed all websites to uncover their business model, their content, their motives and the staff they employ. Data was gathered through content analyses of websites and interviews with owners and staff members. Results indicate that models are extremely diverse, ranging from fully staffed professional operations to spare-time home-operated websites. In terms of revenues, most sites rely on banner advertising. Offering local content does not seem to be the biggest problems. Many sites, however, in particular the smaller operations, suffer from underperformance in terms of business models, advertising, attracting staff and use of social media. Launching a site does not seem to be a major issue, but maintaining it, changing it when technology or market changes demand that, and develop a sustainable business model seems to be more problematic.
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The hyperlocal promiseinnovation | sustainability | diversity
Piet BakkerMarco van Kerkhoven
“Sustainable hyperlocal media”
“Location-based technologies (...) offer a potential revolution for very local media”
“People feel attached (...) to their neighbourhood and street.”
“Hyperlocal services could deliver a plurality of relevant news (...) bringing our communities together for good purpose.”
WhereWhoWhyHowWhat
search: municipality & “news”independent sites
original & general local newscontent analysis & interviews
RQ & Method
One site
88More sites
262# sites
350
123 operations
7.5 per owner
1.8 per municipality
88 with one site
35 with more sites
417 municipalities199 with a local news site
Filling the news gap?
Business model & motivation
motivation: filling the news gap individuals, small teams, part-
timers & volunteers
“In 2002 we became a one-paper-city. I felt that some competition was needed. So I started my own site in 2003.”
“Regular media contained very little news on accidents and crimes.”
“We want to be financially independent and hire professional journalists and sales people.”
“We want to break even and perhaps make some money (…). If we make no money at the end of the year I will pull the plug.”
Content
politicpoliticss
crime/crime/911911
human human interesinteres
ttculturcultur
ee
sportsportss
otherother
businesbusinesss
non-
loca
lno
n-lo
cal
1215 items last 10 items on all sites
50% of the sites
50% of the sites
80% of the sites
67% of the sites
24 sites with more than 50% crime-news
Performance:information, advertising, content, participation
Discussion beyond innovation ...
•Launching is not the issue, making a hyperlocal news sites sustainable is.
•How to overcome underperformance (social media, ads sales, revenue model, UGC...).
twitter: @PietBakker | @martincornelismail: [email protected] | [email protected]: www.journalismlab.nl
Piet BakkerMarco van Kerkhoven
