Hyperlocal Media: A Small But Growing Part Of The Local Media Ecosystem

8/10/2019 Hyperlocal Media: A Small But Growing Part Of The Local Media Ecosystem

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Business ModelsHyperlocal content is produced and funded through a variety of differentmodels. As a result, there is no such thing as a typical hyperlocal site. Here are afew examples which demonstrate this diversity:


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Funding ModelsAlthough many hyperlocal sites are run on a voluntary part-time basis, anincreasing number of commercial enterprises exist. Their income sources arediverse and varied, as reflected below.

Examples of types of funding mechanisms used by UK hyperlocal publishers1

TypologyNot surprisingly, given the range of ways in which hyperlocal media is producedand funded, there are also a wide range of typesof hyper-local media. The firstcomprehensive typology for the UK sector was produced by Hugh Flouch andKevin Harris (2010) in their study, Londons Digital Neighbourhoods. They reported:

From our review of approximately 160 local sites in London we have

identified eight types. Six of those can be described as citizen-led sites,typically set up with a civil purpose. The remaining two types are run on acommercial basis (ibid: 5).


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It will be interesting to see if this typology (illustrated below)2has evolved asthe sector has matured, or if older communication methods such as forumscontinue to resonate with audiences. Sites such as the East Dulwich Forumremain rich platforms for local discussion and discourse, sitting comfortably

alongside Wordpress sites, Facebook groups and other hyperlocal hubs.

Key Data PointsEarlier analysis of hyperlocal media tended to focus on the role that these sitesplay in delivering public value (Ofcom 2009), the implications of local citizen-run websites for local service providers (Flouch and Harris op cit), or an analysisof the issues faced by the sector and the ingredients needed to make it successful(Radcliffe op cit). Research gaps were identified in a number of areas including

the size of the hyperlocal audience, the negative impact of this in attractingadvertising, and the wider societal impact of hyperlocal media on localcommunities (ibid).


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If we are to grow, sustain and support this sector, there are many areas thatwould benefit from further research, and practical experimentation (ibid:40).

Since this clarion call, a numbers of detailed research projects have beenundertaken. Supported by NESTA, Ofcom and academic staff at BirminghamCity and Cardiff University, we now know considerably more about this sectorthan we did twelve months ago. Headline research conclusions include:

45 per cent of all UK adults (and 53 per cent of those with Internet access)have accessed some form of hyperlocal media (Kingsbury and Pearson 2013:2).

The number of outlets is growing. Analysis last year showed that 400 activehyperlocal websites collectively produce almost 2,500 stories a week (Ofcom

2012: 103). 75 per cent of hyperlocal stories are published by a third of the sites (Harte

2012, cited by Turner 2013).

Between 7am and 7pm, a hyperlocal story is published every two minutes(ibid).

Publishers may need to invest more efforts in discoverability, so that theircontent is easier to find. As Mavers (2013: 24) commented: A desire to sharelocal news doesnt always come with a handy guide on search engine

marketing. Hyperlocal advertising holds little appeal for national advertisers, but may be

of more interest to local businesses. Due to limited budgets, any transfer ofadvertising to hyperlocal outlets is likely to be away from other advertisingoutlets (Oliver and Ohlbaum 2013: 7).

Partnerships will help the sector to grow and have more impact. This includesdeveloping greater cross sector links (hyperlocal to hyperlocal), links withtraditional media (e.g. newspapers, radio and television) and partnerships withacademic institutions or community groups. (Radcliffe op cit: 33).

Part Two: The UK Hyperlocal LandscapeAlthough earlier fears about the death of local journalism have provedunfounded, (Toynbee 2009 or Brook 2009) evidence provided to the LevesonInquiry (Enders 2011) concluded that 40 per cent of regional press jobs havegone in the last five years compared to 10 per cent at national level and that1bn of annual classified advertising has gone from the regional press since2008. Separately, research in 2012 by the Press Gazette found that 242publications had closed between 2005 and the end of 2011. In the same period,

there had been 70 just launches (Ponsford 2012).This has inevitably resulted in geographic and content gaps, which some

hyperlocal publishers have sought to plug. The Port Talbot Magnet is one suchexample. Ken Smith, one of the team of journalists behind the site, spoke of


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their ambitions, noting: We want to do quality journalism, not regurgitated pressreleases (Slattery 2011). In 2013, the team began to also include a regular printedition ensuring the town had a local newspaper for the first time in four years. 3Efforts like this provide considerable value to communities, but it should be

noted that the web is not always able to fill gaps at the same pace as they arebeing created. According to Johnson (2009):

There should have been a ten-year evolutionary process: the ecosystemsteadily diversifying and establishing its complex relationships, the newbusiness models evolving, the papers slowly transferring from print todigital, along with the advertisers. Instead, the financial meltdown andsome related over-leveraging by the newspaper companies themselves has taken what should have been a decade-long process and crammed itdown into a year or two.

A growing industryHyperlocal media is a small but growing part of the UKs local media landscape.The number of known sites rose from 432 in May 2012 (Ofcom 2012) to 633 byFebruary 2013 (Turner 2013) and consumption levels are growing too. Ofcomrecorded in 2009 how hyperlocal consumers had increased their use of suchwebsites over the past two years (Ofcom 2009: 10). This momentum has beenmaintained by increased broadband take up and the growth of connecteddevices. As a result, Kantar has observed: Just over one-half of hyperlocal

media users use hyperlocal media more than they did two years ago (Kantar2013: 26).

How levels of hyperlocal use have changed over a period of two years (ibid)

Alongside these developments, there has been a flurry of top down activityin this space, including:


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NESTA provided 500,000 of funding to support 10 prototype services forthe next generation of hyperlocal media. This funding kick-started their widerDestination Localprogramme.4

As part of the same programme, the Technology Strategy Board funded 11

projects5designed to encourage the creation of innovative, hyper-local cross-media platforms and enabling technologies.6The value of this joint fundingwas 1 million.

Cardiff University launched the Centre for Community Journalism7with anemphasis on supporting and understanding the sector in Wales throughresearch, networking and advice, training, outreach and monitoring.8

The Carnegie Trust funded a 50,000 competition Neighbourhood News toimprove local news reporting.9 Five winners received 10,000 funding in

return for participating in an external evaluation of their new local newsproject.10

A 30-month research project, led by Cardiff University, into understandingthe value of the creative citizen was funded by the AHRC.11

Ofcom featured hyperlocal media for the first time in their annual state of thenation Communications Market Reports (Ofcom 2012).

Following consultations with practitioners, DCMS revised proposals for thepost-Leveson regulatory regime to make sure micro-business blogs are

outside of the scheme.12

As the journalist Sarah Wild recently said on Twitter:Its all hyperlocal these days.13

Why Hyperlocal is GrowingThe growth of this sector can be attributed, in part, to a number oftechnological and economic factors, including:

1. Availability of production tools and platforms which have made it easier and cheaper for citizens and journalists to publish their own content.

2. Changes in media behaviours smartphone and tablet owners consume

content differently, whilst mobile broadband has encouraged location basedcontent consumption.

3. In some places traditional media has exited stage right this has createdopportunities for entrepreneurs and digital publishers.

As a result, new entrants have joined more established players such as theSheffield Forum (established 2002) or the London SE1 community websitewhich is now 15 years old. Many community newspapers have an even longerhistory.14 The impact of this is a landscape where, as the FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) commented (2011): Professional mediahave been joined by a wide range of local blogs, email lists, websites and theproliferation of local groups on national websites like Facebook or Yahoo!


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An Uneven PictureJust like traditional media, the availability of hyperlocal content varies. Notsurprisingly, research suggests that much of this is focused on majorconurbations such as London and Birmingham. But Ofcom has also noted:

some rural areas were well served, with South Gloucestershire having 11 sites,largely aimed at small towns and villages, and Wiltshire having ten (Ofcom2012). Alongside this, areas such as the North East, the East Midlands or theDevolved Nations appear to be disproportionately underserved by hyperlocal.The reasons behind this may merit further investigation (Ofcom 2012: 110)

The Real Picture May be biggerIt is likely, however, that these figures underestimate the size of the UKhyperlocal sector. Because anyone can launch a hyperlocal website, there is nolicensing structure which makes it difficult to ascertain the size of the industry.The figures quoted by Ofcom, therefore, represent a best guess derived fromsites listed on the Openly Local Hyperlocal Directory.15 Sites on the directoryare typically self-registered, which inevitably means some will be missed.Similarly, the directory does not include social network based content likeWhats on Offerton16or Remember Old Cardiff.17That said, in the absence of amore effective solution, this remains a great starting point for those interested in

understanding the size and geographic scope of UK hyperlocal media. It will beinteresting to see if policy makers, researchers or hyperlocal publishersthemselves can come up with a better way of showing the size of the industry.


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Understanding the Value of Hyperlocal ContentHyperlocal websites can play an important emotional and functional role(Radcliffe 2011: slide 10) in providing timely information to citizens and costeffective advertising opportunities for local businesses. They also help to reflect

local identity and ensure that local businesses and government are held toaccount. As a result, politicians and policy-makers worry that the loss of localmedia may result in a democratic deficit, whilst citizens appear to be concernedabout the creation of an information deficit at a community level (Moss 2009).

It is therefore interesting to understand what content is produced byhyperlocal publishers. Last year the Creative Citizens project explored sources (who gets to define hyperlocal news and in what ways); topics (whatnews is covered?); the local-ness of this news; the civic value of the news (inrelation to coverage of politics), but also the role of this developing cultural

form in fostering (or not) different forms of citizenship in communities)(Williams 2013). Not surprisingly, the researchers discovered that hyperlocalpublishers produce a lot of stories about local councils and the services theyprovide with the team noting:

This kind of coverage of local government contrasts somewhat with theUKs mainstream local news media, which has scaled back its coverage oflocal politics in recent years. Other notably large categories included crimeand business news entertainment, and the arts (ibid).


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103): around 1 in 7 (14 per cent) of people state that they use a localcommunity website on at least a monthly basis.

Source: Ofcom 2012

Part Three: Maintaining the MomentumAs we have seen, UK hyperlocal media has enjoyed considerable growth andattention in the last year. Whether this growth is sustainable is a moot point. I

believe that it is, but a number of structural considerations will continue topresent challenges for some hyperlocal players. These include sustainability (interms of both personnel and income) and discoverability. Nonetheless,hyperlocal media is becoming a more established player in the local medialandscape. Looking ahead, there are three areas where the hyperlocal sector maywish to focus its attention:

1. Partnerships: although these do exist this is an area which is currentlyunderdeveloped. BBC Online, which was recently criticised by the BBC

Trust for the quality of its local offer (BBC Trust 2013), in particular, canplay a key role in supporting the sector by linking to hyperlocal sources broadening its depth of content in the process. Alongside this, hyperlocaloutlets can also work more effectively together and with other mediaproviders on campaigns. It is perhaps surprising how seldom this occurs.

A collaborative project on graffiti between hyperlocal publishers and theSeattle Times shows how this can be done20although it must be noted thatJ-Lab encouraged this collaboration with initial funding and support. Similarincentives may be required here, although J-Labs experience suggests that

once the value of these partnerships has been proven they can grow. TheSeattle Times now partners with 54 local news sites and blogs.21

2. Relationships with councils would also benefit from further development.This does not just include resolving issues around reporting access (McAthy


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2013) but also exploring opportunities for genuine two-way relationships.Many councils already benefit from content published on hyperlocalwebsites (Flouch and Harris 2010) but this often feels like one way traffic.Literally. Given the continued popularity of cuncil websites (Kantar 2013),

these publicly owned sites could also link to a wider range of local material,including hyperlocal content and that produced by traditional onlinepublishers.

3. The sector may benefit from a trade body to represent it. As the hyperlocalindustry continues to grow and mature, it may find it beneficial to have abody which can provide publishers with a voice, and which can lead onwork with government, policy makers and regulators. Given the cottageindustry nature of hyperlocal media with many practitioners working insilos this body could also help share best practice and promote cross-

sector debate and discussion. By the same token, it could also lead onidentifying and supporting training needs (such as SEO, html5 and writing abusiness plan), as well as establishing some much needed industry wideaudience data.

Funding such a body will probably not be easy, but the potential merits ofsuch an organisation mean the idea is worth exploring. Having a morecohesive, unified, voice may be needed if hyperlocal media is to move to thenext level.

Conclusion: Moving ForwardAlongside these potential next steps, practitioners should also carefully reviewthe hyperlocal research NESTA has commissioned and published over the past12 months. These reports provide valuable insights into the hyperlocal contentconsumed by users, how they search for it, as well as addressing wider questionsaround audience demand and changing media behaviours. In effect, thesereports provide the basis for publishers to undertake a review of their services,so they can ensure that their activities are in line with audience and advertiserneeds and behaviours. By harnessing NESTAs findings in this way, hyperlocal

practitioners may be better placed to ensure that they are getting maximum bangfor their hyperlocal buck.

After a busy 2012, and a hectic start to 2013, it is going to fascinating to seewhere UK hyperlocal will be in another 12 to 18 months time.

Notes1See http://www.neighbournet.com/, http://montv.yourlocal.tv/,http://www.london-se1.co.uk/, http://www.hu17.net/ ,http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/, accessed on 3 July 20132

Image available online at: http://networkedneighbourhoods.com/?p=105, accessed on3 July 20133See http://www.lnpt.org/2013/05/18/magnet-more-great-news-for-port-talbot/accessed on 3 July 2013


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4 See http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/creative_economy/destination_local,accessed on 3 July 20135Seehttp://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/creative_economy/destination_local/assets/f

eatures/technology_strategy_board_destination_local_projects, accessed on 3 July 20136Seehttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130221185318/www.innovateuk.org/content/competition/convergence-in-a-digital-landscape.ashx, accessed on 3 July 20137 See http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/university-launches-centre-to-support-hyperlocal-sites/, accessed on 3 July 20138 See http://cardiff.ac.uk/jomec/communityjournalism/ourstrategy/index.html,accessed on 3 July 20139 See http://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/changing-lives/neighbourhood-news, accessed

on 3 July 201310See http://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/news---events/latest/carnegie-uk-trust-announces-neighbourhood-news-win, accessed on 3 July 201311Seehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jomec/newsandevents/news/12ahrc_connected_communities_programme.html, accessed on 3 July 201312 See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leveson-new-proposals-to-ensure-small-blogs-are-exempt-from-press-self-regulation, accessed on 3 July 201313See https://twitter.com/Wild_Sarah/status/337150544693055488, accessed on 5 July

201314For example, Leys News, a free monthly newspaper in south-east Oxford, wasestablished in 1998, whilst theECHOCommunity Newspaper which reaches residentsin parts of Coventry was first published in April 197915See http://openlylocal.com/hyperlocal_sites, accessed on 3 July 201316See https://www.facebook.com/groups/178753568830557/, accessed on 3 July 201317See https://www.facebook.com/RememberOldCardiff, accessed on 3 July 201318See http://www.thewestlondoner.com, accessed on 3 July 2013

19Via http://www.multimedia-journalism.co.uk/node/2002 The Story of The WestLondoner20See http://seattletimes.com/flatpages/local/graffitiproject.html, accessed on 3 July201321See http://www.j-lab.org/projects/networked-journalism/seattle, accessed on 3 July2013

ReferencesBBC Trust (2013) Service Review of BBC Online and Red Button, 20 May. Available online athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/services/online/service_reviews/online_redbutton.html, accessed on 3 July 2013

Brook, Stephen (2009) Half UK local and regional papers could shut by 2014, MPs aretold, Guardian, 16 June. Available online at


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http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/16/half-local-papers-could-shut-2014,accessed on 3 July 2013

Enders, Claire (2011) Competitive Pressures on the Press. Presentation to the Leveson Inquiry.Available online at http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-

content/uploads/2011/11/Presentation-by-Claire-Enders1.pdf, accessed on 3 July 2013Harte, David (2012) cited by Turner, Jerome (2013)Media, Community and the CreativeCitizen at the AHRC Connected Communities Showcase, Interactive Cultures, 18 March. Availableonline at http://www.interactivecultures.org/2013/03/media-community-and-the-creative-citizen-at-the-ahrc-connected-communities-showcase/, accessed on 3 July 2013

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) (2011) The Information Needs of Communities:The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age, Washington DC: FCC/FederalCommunications Commission. Available online at http://transition.fcc.gov/osp/inc-report/The_Information_Needs_of_Communities.pdf, accessed on 3 July 2013

Flouch, Hugh and Harris, Kevin (2010) Typology of Citizen-run Neighbourhood websites,London: Networked Neighbourhoods. Available online athttp://networkedneighbourhoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Online-Nhood-Networks-Typology-rev-1a.pdf, accessed on 3 July 2013

Johnson, Steven (2009) Old Growth Media and the Future of News, personal blog, March.Available online at http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/2009/03/the-following-is-a-speech-i-gave-yesterday-at-the-south-by-southwest-interactive-festival-in-austiniif-you-happened-to-being.html, accessed on 5 July 2013

Kantar Media, (2013) UK Demand for Hyperlocal Media Research Report, April. London:NESTA/Kantar. Available online at http://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/UK-demand-for-hyperlocal-media-report.pdf, accessed on 5 July 2013

Kingsbury, John and Pearson, Mark (2013) UK Demand for Hyperlocal Media: NESTAResearch Summary. Available online at:http://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/Hyperlocal-Media-Research-Summary-

April13.pdf, accessed on 7 July 2013

Mavens (2013)A Report Mapping High Level Topics of Interest and the Digital Landscape aroundHyperlocal Content in Three Areas, London: Mavens/NESTA. Available online athttp://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/Understanding_Use_Of_Hyper.pdf,accessed on 5 July 2013

McAthy, Rachel (2013) New guidance states councils should allow meetings to be filmed,journalism.co.uk, 14 June. Available online at http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/new-guidance-states-councils-should-allow-meetings-to-be-filmed/s2/a553272/, accessed on3 July 2013

Moss, Stephen (2009) Stop press, Guardian, 2 April. Available online athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/03/local-newspapers-journalism-democracy, accessed on 3 July 2013

Ofcom (2009) Local and Regional Media in the UK, London: Ofcom. Available online athttp://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/tv-research/lrmuk/,

accessed on 3 July 2013Ofcom (2012) The Communications Market 2012, London: Ofcom. Available online athttp://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr12/CMR_UK_2012.pdf,accessed on 3 July 2013


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Oliver and Ohlbaum (2013) Research on Local Advertising Markets, London: NESTA.Available online athttp://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/OnOHyperlocaladvertisingreport.pdf,accessed on 5 July 2013

Ponsford, Dominic (2012) PGresearch reveals 242 local press closures in 7 years, PressGazette, 30 April. Available online at http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/49215,accessed on 3 July 2013

Radcliffe, Damian (2012) Here and Now: UK Hyperlocal Media Today, London: NESTA.Available online athttp://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/Here_and_Now_v17.pdf, accessed on 3

July 2013

Radcliffe, Damian (2011) 21st Century News, SlideShare presentation. Available online athttp://www.slideshare.net/mrdamian/21st-century-news, accessed on 3 July 2013

Slattery, Jon (2011) Port Talbot Magnet aims to attract support and revive local media intown left without a newspaper, Personal Blog, 23 May. Available online athttp://jonslattery.blogspot.com/2011/05/port-talbot-magnet-aims-to-attract.html,accessed on 3 July 2013

Toynbee, Polly (2009) This is an emergency. Act now, or local news will die, Guardian,23 March. Available online athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/24/regional-newspapers-lay-offs,accessed on 3 July 2013

Williams, Andrew (2013) The Value of Hyperlocal News Content, Centre for CommunityJournalism, 11 January. Available online athttp://www.communityjournalism.co.uk/research/the-value-of-hyperlocal-news-content/, accessed on 3 July 2013

Note on the authorDamian Radcliffe is an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff School of Journalism,Media and Cultural Studies. He has written about hyperlocal media for a number oforganisations and media outlets including: Ofcom, the BBC College of Journalism,Networked Neighbourhoods, journalism.co.uk and the Democratic Society. In 2012,NESTA published his report, Here and Now the first comprehensive review of theUKs hyperlocal scene. Links to his extensive hyperlocal writing and research can be

found via his personal website: www.damianradcliffe.com/hyperlocal.

Documents

Hyperlocal Media: A Small But Growing Part Of The Local Media Ecosystem