Hyperlocal Journalism

Work of the Creative Citizens project, which I worked on, has been recognised in Cardiff University's Centre for Community Journalism annual review, where they, in turn, "work with communities in Wales and beyond to support the development
of news services created by local people, for local people."

In discussing research, they said they: "learnt from and publicised Creative Citizens research carried out at Cardiff  University and Birmingham City University into the value of hyperlocal news;" (Annual review, p11)

This article draws on 'hyperlocal' journalism scholarship to explore the civic functions of Australian local reporting in the digital age. Through place-based case studies based on interviews with media and civic leaders from three disparate communities, we find community groups are engaging with social media, particularly Facebook, to connect locals to services and community news. Community service providers are increasingly adept at using social media and, in many cases, prefer it to legacy media to gather, disseminate and exchange news. Concurrently, legacy media have lost newsroom resources that limit their practice of 'shoe leather' journalism and increase their dependence on official sources without independent verification. Yet, journalists are adapting to newsroom cutbacks by forming symbiotic relationships with non-media news providers, including local police. We find there are promising alternatives for fostering civic discourse and engagement through digital technologies despite less traditional local news and a reduced capacity for verified journalism.

La comunicación en los ámbitos de proximidad ha sufrido una profunda transformación en los últimos años con el auge de los cibermedios locales e hiperlocales. Este fenómeno, experimentado a nivel internacional, trae consigo nuevas formas organizativas, productivas y de gestión, que renuevan los modelos tradicionales para ofrecer a los ciudadanos información útil sobre y desde su comunidad. En la península ibérica las iniciativas se multiplican con diferentes formatos, estructuras organizativas, nuevas formas de producción y de gestión que buscan la sostenibilidad del modelo.
En este artículo nos aproximamos a la realidad de los cibermedios locales e hiperlocales de España y Portugal, partiendo de una definición adaptada al contexto sociopolítico y mediático de cada país. La investigación se basa en un estudio exploratorio previo en el que se identifican más de dos mil cibermedios de proximidad activos en España y 200 en Portugal. Esta exploración permite seleccionar una serie de iniciativas con más de cinco años de trayectoria y que presentan algún elemento innovador en cuanto a producto, producción y distribución, organización y estructura empresarial. El análisis de estos medios permite observar si su desarrollo sigue las tendencias que se identifican a nivel internacional.
Los resultados muestran una serie de iniciativas que, además de sostenibles, ejemplifican buena parte de estas características: una vocación de servicio a la comunidad que pretende construir una alternativa a la información local de las cabeceras tradicionales; la participación activa de los ciudadanos como colaboradores productores de contenido o incluso promotores del medio; la recurrencia temática sobre las actividades cotidianas de la comunidad; la no necesaria experiencia o formación periodística del equipo; las dificultades para alcanzar la sostenibilidad económica y el ánimo no lucrativo de muchas iniciativas; así como la diversidad en cuanto a soportes, plataformas, propiedad o modelos de negocio de los hiperlocales.

How are hyperlocal publishers monetising their services in the UK and Europe, and which revenue streams are proving most effective? This report aims to inform hyperlocal publishers of the different revenue models and opportunities available to them, to help them develop more sustainable and resilient services.

Key findings

Viable, sustainable and resilient hyperlocal publishers are diversifying their revenues and do not rely on one revenue source, resulting in substantial income differences.
Partnerships are an important part of the revenue ‘mesh’. The small size of hyperlocal media services could be a permanent obstacle in moving towards maturity; partnerships could help to solve this problem.
Native advertising or sponsored content is sparking increased interest and some lucrative revenues.
There is resurgence in the interest of print, which plays an important role in discoverability and sustainability of hyperlocal media services.
Crowdfunding is a valuable opportunity for specific projects and campaigns.
There is a high use of and reliance on volunteers; they can be used creatively and to great effect as a resource.
To date, Europe hasn’t benefitted from a comprehensive study of the current and emerging revenue streams available to hyperlocal publishers, and the new opportunities afforded by digital technology.

Therefore, we worked with strategic organisations and selected 35 case studies from the UK, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Sweden – as these are territories with a similar hyperlocal media landscape in regards to growth, challenges and innovation – to find out how these publishers are monetising their services and what we can learn from them.

The objective is to inform hyperlocal publishers, from across Europe and beyond, as to which methods and strategies are available to them, to help them develop stronger business models.

Authors: Clare Cook, Kathryn Geels and Piet Bakker

Resumen — La reformulación del ecosistema mediático sitúa el foco sobre nuevas vías de comunicación hacia usuarios más activos. En un escenario transmedia en construcción –incipiente en el periodismo–, el papel de los medios locales e hiperlocales se ve reforzado por la participación en los relatos y procesos informativos. En este estudio se presentan las prácticas más extendidas del periodismo transmedia y el estado actual de los hiperlocales, de cara a identificar iniciativas en desarrollo y de futuro. Junto a la sostenibilidad y la experimentación en los medios, el valor de la comunidad y la proximidad son protagonistas en una expansión glocal y transmedia. Abstract — The reformulation of the media ecosystem puts the focus on new communication channels towards more active users. In a transmedia scenario under construction –emerging in journalism–, the role of local and hyperlocal media is reinforced by participation in stories and information processes. This study presents the most widespread practices of transmedia journalism and the current state of hyperlocal media, in order to identify initiatives in development and to the future. Together with sustainability and experimentation in the media, the value of the community and proximity are protagonists in a glocal and transmedia expansion.

During the last decade, the communication ecosystem has undergone a profound transformation in the areas of proximity, due to the proliferation of hyperlocal online media. In this article, we explore the initiatives born in Spain and Portugal, and we show the existence of a new media network in the areas of proximity. This study compares different elements of information production of five online media with different organizational and management models. The results show common trends in terms of spaces and coverage issues, active participation of citizens or orientation to the community of the hyperlocal media.

Increased interest in hyperlocal news has led to growing evidence of its economic value, its ability to play traditional democratic roles associated with news, and its merits and deficiencies in comparison with the outputs of a declining established commercial news industry. Given many hyperlocal producers cite the desire to play a role in producing better communities, this paper breaks new ground in examining the social and cultural dimensions of hyperlocal journalism’s news-making,
community-building, and place-making roles. We examine this emergent cultural form’s affinity with telling stories, and enabling conversations, about civic and political concerns, but also its affinity with, and celebration of, the banal everyday. Employing the novel theoretical concept of reciprocal journalism, we provide new evidence about the mutually reinforcing online, and offline, practices that underpin relationships between producers and the communities they inhabit and
represent. Drawing on evidence from the most extensive multi-method study of UK hyperlocal news to date, it demonstrates the different kinds of direct and indirect reciprocal exchange practices common in community news, and shows how such work, often composed of journalistic and community-activist practices, can enable and foster relationships of sustained reciprocity which improve and strengthen both hyperlocal news and the communities it serves.

To date, Europe hasn’t benefitted from a comprehensive investigation on the current and emerging revenue streams available to hyperlocal publishers, especially with the continued convergence of content and digital technology. This study examines a broad range of
hyperlocal services and pure players from across Europe, to inform hyperlocal publishers about the different methods and strategies available to them, so they can develop a more sustainable and resilient service. It responds directly to recommendations that call for
business models to be ‘further analysed so that lessons learned from these case studies can inspire, and inform entrepreneurs and other publishers’.2 It includes:
• An overview of the hyperlocal ecosystem, including a country-by-country analysis.
• An overview of the different legal business structures available to hyperlocal media
services, including the potential advantages and limitations of these.
• An analysis of current and emerging revenue streams being used by hyperlocal publishers,
with a focus on 35 case studies from Europe.
• An assessment of which of these are most feasible, reliable or lucrative.
• An examination of changes to the wider advertising and online transaction industry.
• Emerging trends and innovations in revenue creation and capture in and beyond Europe.
• Recommendations for policymakers, industry and hyperlocal publishers in relation to gaps,
opportunities and areas of growth.

Although the word ‘hyperlocal’ appears regularly in discussions about the future of the news media, there is no agreed-upon definition for the term. Recognizing that shortcoming, we demonstrate the need for a more precise definition. We then propose a definition and criteria for evaluating media operations described as hyperlocal. Finally, we apply our working definition to six operations widely regarded as exemplars of the hyperlocal prototype, comparing each to established standards of journalism and to one another. We conclude that hyperlocal media operations are evolving on a continuum. As they evolve, these organizations will showcase both a range of journalism acting in the public good and engagement facilitated through interactive media. We expect the definition of hyperlocal to evolve, too, as more voices enter the discussion and closer attention is given to the characteristics of websites deemed worthy of the appellation.

Resumo: Este texto objetiva associar a prática do jornalismo hiperlocal à prática do jornalismo investigativo. Tem como premissa o entendimento de que o “hiperlocal” está sintonizado com o jornalismo cidadão e que este exige vínculo com a cidade e suas comunidades, o que leva tempo e custa caro, situação coincidente à do jornalismo investigativo. A reportagem investigativa hoje dispõe de aparato tecnológico digital que facilita a produção, distribuição e acesso aos conteúdos, e ao se avizinhar da prática hiperlocal pode contar com o acréscimo de saberes específicos, como mobilização da comunidade e empoderamento social. Utilizamos para esta reflexão leitura bibliográfica atualizada sobre a temática e exemplos de observação participante em reportagens locais de Curitiba (PR).

Abstract: This text associates the practice of hyperlocal journalism to investigative journalism, in order to highlight their essentialities. There is a premise that the “hyperlocal” understanding is associated with the citizen and this requires bond with the city and its communities, which takes time and costs money, matching the situation of investigative journalism. The investigative reporting today has all the technological apparatus that facilitates digital production, distribution and access to content and approach of research practice hyperlocal can count on adding specific knowledge, such as community mobilization and social empowerment. We use for this reflection bibliographic updated on reading; and examples from participant observation in local reports (Curitiba, PR).

Link: http://seer.uscs.edu.br/index.php/revista_comunicacao_inovacao/article/view/3873