By Mackenzie Smith

Many newspapers across the country have experienced decreased ad sales and other problems in the current economy, causing these publications to reevaluate how to survive in the business.  Newspapers are trying new tactics, cutting back, and defining a new mission for news.

New Tactics
Some publications are decreasing print days per week.  The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News have both reduced home delivery to three days a week.  These publications print abbreviated versions, available only at newsstands, and encourage readers to access the online versions on the remaining four days.

Other newspapers are using more extreme tactics, such as publishing solely on the Internet.  On March 17, 2009, The Seattle-Post Intelligencer stopped printing its paper.  The newspaper is now only available online.  The Christian Science Monitor also converted to an online-only version.  However, the publication publishes a hard copy of the weekend edition.

Cutting Back
Many newspapers have made internal changes to reduce costs.  Of the nation’s top 100 newspapers, 93 of them have made staff cuts.

Several prominent newspapers have also filed for bankruptcy.  Such newspapers include the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chicago Sun-Times, and several other publications.

New Mission
Hyper-local news is a new alternative to traditional newspapers.  Recently, the New York Times launched “The Local,” two blogs targeted at specific communities.  One blog covers news in Brooklyn, while the other covers three New Jersey communities.  One reporter is assigned to each blog, but the blog also accepts contributions from bloggers and journalism students.

Patch, a start-up backed by Google, is another example of hyper-local news dissemination.  Patch dedicates one journalist to a community.  The site also links to other news sources and takes contributions from bloggers.

Currently, Patch has launched sites in the same communities as “The Local.”  However, the site plans to encompass at least a dozen more sites by the end of 2009.  Patch targets towns of 20,000 to 50,000.

Three other hyper-local websites include EveryBlock.com, Outside.in, and Placeblogger.  These sites don’t employ a reporter, but rather posts links to articles, blogs, and data from local governments.

Hyper-local sites face two major problems.  First, the number of readers for each site is very small.  Second, these sites may not be able to function if traditional newspapers fold because they still need reliable news sources.

Despite the potential problems faced by hyper-local sites, they are increasing in popularity ironically because traditional newspapers are less available.

Additional Reading:

“Pressure on the Presses”

‘Hyperlocal’ Web Sites Deliver News Without Newspapers