Public Broadcasters Venture into

Online Hyperlocal News:

A Case Study of

International Symposium on Online Journalism

Austin, Texas - April 1, 2011

Mark Berkey-Gerard
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
berkey-gerard@rowan.edu
 Abstract
In November 2010, WHYY Inc., a PBS and NPR
member station serving the Greater Philadelphia area,
launched NewsWorks.org. It provides regional news and
information in Eastern PA, Southern NJ and DE.
NewsWorks also features a "hyperlocal newsgathering”
effort in Northwest Philadelphia.

It is a pilot program of the Corporation for Public

Broadcasting, designed to test "the possibilities of online
hyperlocal journalism, driven by public media values and
skills."
 Research questions

R1: Why the public media organization

(historically TV and radio) chose to embark on
online hyperlocal project?

R2: How does the public media organization

define hyperlocal journalism?

R3: How does the public media organization

practice hyperlocal newsgathering?
 Methodology
Intrinsic, qualitative case study of WHYY

Conducted over a 12-month period (8 months

prior to launch, 4 months after)

Project documents

Observations of strategy sessions, community

meetings, newsroom, trainings.

In-depth interviews with WHYY staff members

 “Uggh. Hyperlocal.”
Hyperlocal is a problematic term

WHYY staff ambivalent about term, preferred

“local” or “community.”

Researcher used hyperlocal to stay consistent

with the original language and intent of the CPB
grant and pilot project.
 Philly News
Landscape
Fourth largest media market in U.S.

Newspaper turmoil: Inquirer and Daily News acquired

and sold off (2006), local ownership, bankruptcy (2010),
Philly.com, most prominent online news publication

“Vibrant media landscape... with niche reporting sites,

legacy newspapers and an active community of creative
technologists,” but also diminished local public affairs
reporting. (J-Lab Report 2010)
 WHYY Inc.
Started in mid-1950s

Dual license public broadcaster: TV (Channel 12) and

radio (90.9 FM)

$27 million budget, 160 staff

Produces nationally syndicated programs, "Fresh Air

with Terry Gross"

Limited web presence: WHYY.org primarily program

schedule and archives
 Origins of NewsWorks
Grew out of turmoil of newspaper industry

Philanthropic foundations involved

Several versions from 2006 to 2010

Scaled down version: $300K CPB startup grant for

$1.2 million operation

Part of larger effort to digitize member stations

Compete with Patch.com and Journal Register

 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
"Experiment" in the context of four challenges:

1. Legacy to Multiplatform

2. Revenue and Membership

3. Stronger News Brand

4. Media Training and Education

 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
1. Legacy to Multiplatform

WHYY identity, culture, and practice

“Until the advent of NewsWorks, online

was frankly the stepchild of broadcast.
There was recognition that you needed
to be online, but there was no big
investment in it."
 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
2. Revenue and Membership

• Decline in government funding

• Radio membership up; TV down

• Philanthropic investment

• Online underwriting untapped

 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
3. Stronger News Brand

“For many, WHYY is not a news organization.

It’s where they see Sesame Street or arts
programming. And on 90.9 FM, it’s NPR. For
our purpose, NPR is the more significant set
of letters than WHYY. Part of our message is
that we are taking everything you love about
NPR to the web for a local news venture."
 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
3. Stronger News Brand

Distinct brand, logo, and messaging

 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
4. Media Training and Education

Dorrance H. Hamilton
Public Media Commons,
$12 million education
Center opened
May 2010.
 R1: Why Hyperlocal?
4. Media Training and Education

“…better future for

a public media
organization than simply
being a PBS and
NPR member station."
 R2: Define Hyperlocal?
Philly is a city of neighborhoods

8 zip codes in Northwest Philadelphia

190,000 residents in 15 distinct neighborhoods

Largely residential, diverse racially/economically

Strong civic and religious life

 R2: Define Hyperlocal?
1. Added value for base of support
Zip 19118 - $120K avg annual gross income
(Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy)

2. Outreach to target demographic

30’s, educated, professional, civic-minded
(Manayunk and East Falls)

3. Public service
Zip 19138 - $28K avg annual gross income
(Germantown and West Oak Lane)
 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
News content:
–crime
–real estate
–schools
–religious and civic events
–zoning and development
–open space and recreation
–local history

…in context of larger city issues.

 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
News content created by:

1. WHYY staff
2. content partnerships
3. paid freelancers and community contributors
4. user-generated
 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
1. WHYY Staff

Three community editors

• mix of reporting, editing, and outreach
• goal of 50/50 time in community/office

Additional reporters and producers

• local angles in arts, health, science, govt.
beats
 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
2. Content Partnerships

18 content partners
• online news orgs (Notebook, PlanPhilly)
• tech companies (Azavea mapping)
• Daily News blogs (City Howl, It's Our Money)
• weekly newspapers
• universities (Temple, U of Arts, LaSalle)
• civic organizations
 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
2. Content Partnerships

"There is no way we are going to generate

enough content by ourselves to sustain this
kind of web play. So we have no choice but
to partner. Partnerships are both a good
idea, and clearly something that foundations
are looking for.
Partnership is a buzzword, but they are hard to
achieve."
 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
3. Paid Freelancers and Community
Contributors

Assigned to cover local meetings, events, and

essays

Pay ranges from $10 for news brief to $300 for

multimedia story

Maintain quality and participation

 R3: Practice Hyperlocal?
4. User Generated Content

Numerous ways to participate:

-news tips
-lists
-mapping
-discussion areas
-multimedia

Driven by incentive system, “Ben Bucks”

 Conclusion
NewsWorks project impact on WHYY:

• Web platform equal to TV and radio

• New underwriting potential
• Local reporting as a higher priority
• Expanded newsroom staff
• Outlet for media training facility
 Conclusion
NewsWorks project impact on WHYY:

• Added value for dedicated audience

• Outreach to target demographic
• Public service to an underserved area
• Partnerships
• Engaging local community
Future of

Redesign of website

Mobile applications

Seeking foundation funding

Membership model work on Web?

 Future of

"The key is... what kind of online experience

creates a sense of ownership and
community in a younger demographic
that leads them to give money in the
same way that older people give to public
broadcasting?"
 Future of
"Who would be so stupid to think they were
sure this was going to work? I think there
is a pretty strong argument to be made for
public media being a place – if it is going to
succeed anywhere – it would be here. It is
full of journalists working at a discount
because they believe in the mission.
Hyperlocal requires people to 'do
windows,' to do things out of a sense of
service."