What is hyper-local? News that is close to us, yes?
Well ok then, but what exactly is ‘local’? One thing’s for sure: It’s geographic.
And by God, isn’t that boring? I don’t want hyper-local news unless it’s interesting. But then what is interesting? We shouldn’t assume people find news interesting just because it is near to them.
This is all obvious, of course. But you wouldn’t think it when you read about all the hyper-local sites that seem to be springing up all over the place with the intention of forcing down news ‘closer to you’ down our guts.
Instead, we should be harnessing all the Web 2.0 power into hyper-personal.
Hyper-personal is the people I know, the teams I support, the musicians I like. It’s more of the news I’m interested in, and less of the news that I’m not. It’s the bloggers that post from the other side of the world — but are still relevant to me. It’s a news agenda that I can tailor to my needs and my needs alone. Do I want to follow the twists and turns of Zimbabwe politics? Yes please. Do I want to know each detail of the McCann case? No thanks. Do I want to know the current status of Amy Winehouse’s beehive? Maybe.
Do I want those decisions to be made by anyone else that isn’t me?
No.
I don’t want hyper-local. I want hyper-personal. And it’s up to newspapers to take social-networking’s lead and give me what I need.
Hyper-local and hyper-personal both mean news that is close to you. But hyper-personal looks beyond geography, and in doing so, finds stories that really are close to us.
Dave, you may be right.
But I wonder if you’re not into hyper-local because you’re still too young to have a mortgage, kids going to the local school, a property on which you pay local rates.
I suspect hyper-local does well if it has well-written stories on those topics – things that tie people to a neighbourhood.
Why I’ve given up buying the Sunday newspaper.
It used to be a ritual, a time-tested tradition; rise late, get the paper, enjoy a slow breakfast and a relaxed read. No pressure. Most civilised.
No longer.
My media fix of choice was the Sunday Star Times. It usually had some imaginative writing, good business coverage and occasional investigative journalism tackling issues of importance. But driving to the local garage for a copy became expensive; cold-engine cars drink most fuel on short trips.
Walking was an option in summer. Not in a Wellington winter. So let’s add the paper to the Dom Post sub.
Can’t be done though both come from Fairfax. A new account had to be opened for fatuous admin reasons normally associated with the moa in the IRD than private enterprise. We’ve got enough accounts, thanks. If Fairfax can’t bother to make things easy for customers why should we jump hoops?
But the addiction to print and paper persisted till the All Blacks beat the Boks. I got the result off the paper’s web site in the early hours and stayed to browse other offerings. Then the truth hit like a Maraka midwinter zephyr.
Tired columnists muttering about the week’s events. No ‘hey, read this!’ disclosures. Ho-hum write-ups of events seen on TV news the previous night. The usual litany of nasty little crimes courtesy of police media already reported on radio. Nothing to challenge and inspire, reveal and arouse.
I don’t want fashion spreads, uncritical travel puffs, trite infotainment and copy written for Auckland’s hedonists. Maybe some like this stuff – no problem, but I’m no longer prepared to buy a half-kilo of fat just to consume five grams of protein.
Jim,
There’s no reason why the things you mention — mortgage, kids at school and so on — would not be covered by hyper-personal. But your idea of hyper-personal will differ from mine, and news websites should take that into account.
If I use Google News, then I can save my preferences to give me news about subjects I’m interested in near the top of the page, and subjects I’m NOT interested in towards the bottom. ALL news sites should be like this.
Where this format falls down is when there is a breaking story — although I guess I’m grateful of that too. Some news stories should be shown to everyone.
Duncan, thanks for your comment. I agree wholeheartedly. I can take or leave the Sunday papers. If I fancy reading, then I’ll pick them up, but the primary reason for reading a newspaper has all but disappeared, in my opinion. Why read about news that I know about already? Analysis? Maybe… but I share your same concerns. Where is the good, inspiring journalism?
If I pick up today’s NZ Herald, there are no less than four agency stories within the first three pages. Madness. As a reader I want unique copy in my newspaper, thank you very much. Make it half as thick — nay, a quarter! — and I still won’t mind, as long as it’s ORIGINAL.
If I was the editor of a newspaper, I would NEVER allow an agency story on the frontpage. To me, that’s like saying: “HEY LOOK! We’re so clever. You know that story you can look at online for free 6 hours ago? Well we’ve grabbed it, made it look pretty, and now we’re going to charge you $1.70.”
The five grams of protein you’re after still exists. Except these days it lives on the web.
Maybe your remedial training can be hyper-personal.
Save young journos — give them the remedial training they need!