Hyperlocal Media & Community Journalism – the UK opportunity

Damian RadcliffeJanuary 2013

Web: damianradcliffe.com Twitter: @mrdamian76

My perspective

• 17 year’s in commercial, public, regulatory and non-profit media

• Roles in Online, TV, Radio, Technology and Telecoms

And across:• Research, Policy and Regulation• Broadcasting and Digital Content• Digital Inclusion and Adult Learning

2012: what a difference a year makes

5 developments to note

1. A richer research and asset base

Source: http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/12/12/social-networking-popular-across-globe/

1. A richer research baseUse of hyperlocal websites is growing, but this is still an emerging sector

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-

reports/cmr12/market-context/UK-1.98

2. A step change in funding

3. Local TV edges nearer

http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/7235.aspx

Image: http://regmedia.co.uk/2012/05/11/local_tv_map.png

Kelvin via Press Gazette: http://bit.ly/gA4lVk

"The idea of local TV is a complete disaster and anybody going into it is completely

nuts.

You can't invest enough money to make it look good, but if it doesn't look any good people think it is amateurish and don't

want to watch it."Kelvin MacKenzie• DCMS passed legislation providing new

powers to Ofcom to award local TV and spectrum licences for Local TV.

• On 10 May 2012, Ofcom invited applications for the first 21 Local TV licences.

• The bidding round for these first licences ended on 13 August 2012 and Ofcom received 57 applications for Local TV content licences and four applications for the Local TV multiplex licence.

• Ofcom is now in the process of awarding licences, and the first Local TV services expected to be on air by Autumn 2013.

4. What would Leveson say?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/aug/15/hyperlocal-media-regulators and

http://meejalaw.com/2012/08/13/damian-radcliffe-hey-regulator-leave-those-hyperlocals-alone/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/29/leveson-report-published-and-brooks-and-coulson-in-court-live-coverage

Well, as it happens, not much on this front….

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/whats-a-leveson-asks-the-internet-2012112951244

Via: http://jcstearns.tumblr.com/post/27168409067/chicago-tribune-suspends-use-of-journatic-as-a

5. Q: When is hyperlocal not hyperlocal?

A: When it’s outsourced.

“Over the last two or three years, the Chicago-based content provider has infiltrated dozens of mid to major newspapers across the country and

obtained contracts to produce so-called "hyperlocal" news content. Those deals often lead to a horde of firings of editorial staff at those news

organizations, as some full-time office-dwellers cede work to a small army of low-paid freelancers living all around the globe.

Had editors at these newspapers requested a meeting with the individuals producing this new content, they'd have racked up a

staggering amount of frequent flier miles.”

Ryan Smithhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/06/adventures-journatic-new-media-outsourced-

hyperlocal-news

2013: maintaining the momentum

5 ideas for moving forward

1. Facebook First

Hyperlocals are typically Digital First by default.

Should consider being Facebook First.

• Where the audience is.

• Rise of social sharing.

• Younger skew.

• Potential audience + revenue (?) growth.

• Conversations already taking place.

“Facebook is where people, by and large, have decided to go for their first-stop online community

activities.

Which begs the question:

Why have a separate site, and try to drag people away from Facebook? Why not go where they

are?”

http://rockvillecentral.com/2011/02/rockville-central-is-moving-join-us.html/

2. Print is Dead. Long live Print.

Superman quits print to go online

Via: http://reformpublicnotices.tumblr.com/

The potential for Reverse Publishing is often unrealised.

• Reaches digitally excluded.

• Skews older - audience more interested in local.

• Understood medium by advertisers/funders.

• Historical record for future generations.

• Revenue potential

- e.g. print only advertisers and special commemorative editions.

"Ground > Cloud > Print” = “the Printernet”US blogger

Michael Josefowicz

http://toughloveforxerox.blogspot.com/

2009/03/new-opportunity-for-print-in-printernet.html

3. Local Media Networks

Journalism doesn't need reinventing, but resources need reallocating.

Local TV, Community Radio and Hyperlocal publishers are all struggling to find sustainable business models. Yet they have similar

aims, ethics and aspirations. So, why not work together?

So

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ben

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• Shared content • Multi-platform and multi-media potential

• Joint advertising • Collective audience size

• Agreed audience measurement and engagement metrics

• Impact of shared campaigns

• Role in pushing audiences around local ecosystem and helping them discover new content / sources.

• Greater likelihood of being able to access the BBC £5m p.a. pot for local content.

FMAM

COMMUNITY RADIOIN THE UK

Angel R Havant

GTFMAfan FM

Cross Rhythms

HFM

Kemet R

Takeover RThe Eye

R FazaR Dawn

R Ikhlas

Insight R

Awaz FM

Sunny Govan R

Revival R

Angel R IOW

Skyline CR

Express FMUnity 101

BCB

Phoenix FM

Future R

Radio Scilly

shmuFM

The Superstation

Asian Fever

Unity FMNew Style R

Big City

The ‘Bridge

WCR

Radio FailteFeile FM

BFBS Lisburn

Iur

Down FMShine FM

Lionheart R

NE1 FM

Seaside R

Indigo FM

Gloucester FM

Youthcomm R

West Hull CR

R Reverb

Colchester Garrison

Cross Rhythms Plymouth

Forest FM

Greater LondonDesi R– SouthallHayes CR - HayesOn FM – Hammersmith Bang – Stonebridge & HarlesdenNuSound R – NewhamResonance FM – C LondonVoice of Africa - NewhamWestside CR – SouthallRinse FM – Inner LondonReprezent – S LondonBetar Bangla – Tower HamletsGeneration Radio – LambethGreenwich Kasapah – GreenwichStreetlife Radio – Waltham Forest

Asian Star

Phoenix FM

Greater LondonCSR

Tempo

Black Diamond

Leith FM

Edinburgh Garrison

Bristol C FM

R Teesdale

Sheffield LiveBurngreave CR

Branch FM

R Verulam

Diverse FMRadio LaBInspire R

Castledown RSalisbury PlainGarrison

Siren FM

Ipswich CR

Calon FM

Hope FM

Cambridge 105CAM

Aldershot Garrison

Cross Rhythms

Pendle CR

Diversity

BRFM

Saint FM

10Radio

Stroud FM

The Source

R St Austell Bay

Soundart R

BRFM (Blaenau Gwent)

R Tircoed

Somer Valley FM

Ujima FM

Glastonbury FM

Phonic FM

Swindon 105.5

The Bay

Bro R

XLFM

Bute FM

Alive R

Speysound

Drive 105

Aldergrove & Antrim FMHolywood FM

Ballykinler FM

Mearns FM

Celtic Music AM

Pulse CR Brick FM

Dunoon CR

Blast 106Lisburn City R

3TFM

Spice FM

Community Voice

Utopia FM

R Hartlepool

Drystone RCatterick Garrison FM

Bishop FM

Sine FMTMCR

Vixen

Flame CCR

Tudno FM Point FM

Preston FM

Chorley FM

MoorlandsHalton FM

KCC Live

Cheshire FM Canalside

Greater Manchester & N CheshireSalford CRAll FM – South central & East ManchesterWythenshawe FMTameside CRPure R – StockportBolton FMPeace FM – HulmeRossendale RadioNorth Manchester FMGaydio - ManchesterUnity Radio – central Manchester

Crescent

Oldham CR

Gtr Manc. & N Ches. R Lindum

Boundary Sd

Gravity FM

JCom

Redroad FM

Erewash Sd

Amber SdTakeover

Tulip R

TCR FMAmbur R

SACDA RRaaj FM

Switch R

7 Waves R

Kohinoor FMDemon FM

EAVA

R PlusThe Hillz

Hermitage FM

Inspiration FM

Penistone

R Cardiff

Corby R

Felixstowe

Blyth Valley

Zack fm RWS fm

Wayland R

Leisure FM

BigglesFM

Huntingdon CR

IntoBeats

AHBSSunlight

Academy

Academy

Rye

R Awaaz

Meridian

Uckfield FM

Seahaven

BGWS

Marlow FM

Voice

The Park

1 Ummah

OX4

Vibe

Suzy

4. We need more research and analysis

• How many sites are there?

• What is the size of the hyperlocal audience?

• How many people 'work' in the sector?

• Civic impact and value

• Capturing local Facebook traffic

• And local Facebook conversations

• Non-English language case studies

5. And Big Media needs to play a role

Funding, the move to mobile, media law and other training all matters

But where can we see the biggest difference and impact?• Deep linking

• Credit where credit is due

• Payment and Acknowledgements

• Diversity of voices and stories

• Promote new talent

- Do this and the rest will follow…

“Citizen journalism is no more a replacement for professional journalism than teabags are a replacement for water. Both can stand

comfortably alone, but when combined they produce something quite wonderful.”

Clyde H. Bentley, Associate Professor, University of Missouri School of Journalismhttp://www.kcnn.org/research/citizen_journalism_back_to_the_future/

“When minorities and women and people who have known

poverty and misfortune first-hand are authors of news, as well as its

readers, the social world represented in

the news expands and changes.”

Sociologist Michael Schudsonhttp://mashable.com/2011/11/10/citizen-journalism-democracy/

Thanks for listening

www.damianradcliffe.com

www.slideshare.net/mrdamian

www.twitter.com/mrdamian76

www.linkedin.com/in/damianradcliffeImage: http://streetfightmag.com/wp-content/uploads/27.jpg