What's this animal called hyperlocal journalism?

Is this the way to go for journalists in the future?

Meet the new face of hyperlocal journalism
A former NYT columnist explains how a local blog can challenge, and scoop, a local paper while making a business of small-town coverage.

By Sandeep Junnarkar

After her five-year stint as a columnist in New York Times' New Jersey section ended, Debbie Galant began to follow her father's footsteps into the world of running a small publication. While her father was a publisher of newsletters, Galant assumed his modern day incarnation--as a blogger. At first, she blogged personally but after attending a meeting about hyperlocal blogging, she says, "the idea just clicked that here is a pretty cool opportunity."

Along with a business partner, she launched Barista of Bloomfield Ave., a site that covers a small town in New Jersey. "I had name recognition and publisher blood," she says. "I thought it might be better than being a freelancer—always subject to the whims of other people."

Two years later, she has a small staff of reporters and freelancers, and a dedicated Internet server to keep pace with the site's growing readership. Galant spoke to OJR about the challenges of running a hyperlocal site, building its credibility and making a living off the publication.

Read more here.