Anytown, Online - New York Times
I have long maintained, even before the advent of the Internet, that 'local' ultimately will be a BIG factor in the online explosion. Even in the world of gargantuan portals and mega- social networking sites built by online giants, people do want to know what's happening locally, however they might define that. Some will contribute to this local potpourri. Look at the popularity of Craigs List as an example.
Nevertheless, the critical factor is time and how much of their online time will people devote to 'local' among the myriad alternatives remains to be seen.
In any event, all this alternative 'local' grist is a growing threat to old line local newspapers. They are trying to redefine themselves by encouraging reader participation such as commenting on local articles and establishing blogs by their writers hoping to capture online time by customers on their newspaper site. The Burlington Free Press is but one example.
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