Hyperlocal news panel discussion posted online

For those unable to participate in the conversation live, the National Press Club has made available online a video of the July 14 panel discussion, "Up Next -- Hyperlocal Coverage: Neighborhood Blogs, Community Websites, and the Future of the News,” at http://press.org/news-multimedia/videos/hyperlocal

The event, which launched the Club’s “Get It Online” series, featured some of Washington's most popular hyperlocal reporters.

Participants included DCist editor-in-chief Aaron Morrissey and the writers behind Borderstan, And Now, Anacostia and Frozen Tropics. Brian Farnham, editor-in-chief of the community-specific news and information platform Patch, also provided his perspective. Club member Kate Michael of K Street Kate moderated, while Club members and attendees live-tweeted the event (#getitonline #pressclubdc).

In a time when more Americans get their news from the Internet than from newspapers, highly customized neighborhood-centric reporting is on the rise.

Washington has more than 25 neighborhood bloggers. A number of Web start-ups are creating their own hyperlocal news sites, with larger companies like AOL and Gannett starting their own brands.

What is it about the state of modern media that allows these news platforms to exist? Are hyperlocal sites more successful at reporting news than large outlets? Is this is a sustainable model for the future? And where do neighborhood bloggers fit into the new media mix?

Experts addressed these questions and more at the July 14 event. Another “Get It Online” session will be held in the fall.