A Look at How the Times’ Approaches Hyperlocal News

Image via CrunchBase

The New York Times foray into hyperlocal journalism has been mixed, according to StreetFight. Mary Ann Giordano, the Times editor who oversaw the initial hyperlocal efforts, told StreetFight that communities really liked the coverage, but plans for other neighborhood blogs are on hold. s

“We need someone to figure out a very good business model,” she tells StreetFight, adding that the Times hopes that organizations like Patch and other community bloggers can succeed because it’s a fun way to do journalism.

Cutbacks at the Grey Lady meant that coverage shifted. Baristanet took over its New Jersey sites while the Times partnered with The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and New York University for its Brooklyn and East Village sites. She said that students don’t always attain the same standards as the Times, but then the Times doesn’t always attain it, either.

Giordano tells Streetfight, “You do the best you can with the students. We’re very impressed with both schools: by their high level of standards and how much they took to heart their partnership with the New York Times.”

Now Giordano spends most of her time with a new project, SchoolBook, a blog and news source about New York City’s 2,500 schools. The project is in partnership with WNYC. “We want to get to the point where a lot of our journalism will be informed by what people in our communities are telling us,” she tells StreetFight.

StreetFight Magazine