Jtm-pnw-session-hyperlocal-mainstream

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Building collaboration model for mass and hyperlocal media

Working from the image pictured on this page, here's a first attempt at organizing the notes from our session on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, into the beginnings of a business model. Please jump in with corrections and clarifications.

Participants in this session who signed our sheet: Jim Bellinger, Jody Brannon, Jessica Durkin, Pam Kilborn-Miller, Kim Lowe, Bob Payne, Sabrina Roach, Dale Steinke and Chris Zain (sp?)

Let's start with hyperlocal media (HL), generally defined as geographically local and engaged in their community:

Strengths

• Geographically local and engaged
• Community voice (Voice of the community?)
• Can gather the local agenda
• Catalyst for civic discussion
• Built with sweat equity (owners are invested in its success)
• It's a new audience that may not be using mass media as frequently (or at all)
• Have a face-to-face, personal relationship with the audience
• They have heart and many do it for love
• First responder on local news
• ...

Weaknesses

• Distribution and marketing
• Shallow pockets
• Need to build credibility
• Journalism ethics framework often ill-defined
• ...

Next, Mass media (MM), loosely defined as geographically diverse, with a mass audience

Strengths

• Distribution
• Has a broad focus and has the resources to provide context
• Credibility
• Good at trend spotting
• Has strong (but threatened) revenue streams
• Has deep knowledge base in journalism skills, marketing, SEO, ad sales, technology, media literacy
• Has many business contacts
• A well-defined set of ethics
• Well-developed information gathering systems

Weaknesses

• Locally disconnected
• Can't be everywhere at once
• Limited resources
• Pressure to please stockholders
• ...

Opportunities to work together

Content

• Tipsters: More often than not, HL can act as a first responder, tipping MM to new happenings. MM can also tip HL too though. One idea is to have HL dig up local angles on a regional trend story (example given was the impact of the halted development projects).

Marketing

• MM can drive people to HL sites via links and other marketing

Sales

• MM has many sales people and could offer that service. Ad networks could be a key part of this

Infrastructure

• Training: MM can offer training in journalism skills, marketing, SEO, ad sales, technology, media literacy, running a business, etc...

Pitfalls to be addressed

• How to not make HL sites look like sellouts by partnering with MM
• Equity and fairness in any revenue deals
• Building and maintaining mutual trust
• Setting branding, promotion expectations
• Maintaining product integrity

Here's a link to the ongoing discussion on LinkedIn. - Dale