[Vocabulary] Hyperlocal

[Olympian]

Hello,

I came across this article - Washington Post close on new hyperlocal sites.

I found the defintions of "hyperlocal" here and here.

So, is it correct to say "one site's/publication's local is another site's/publication's hyperlocal"? In the Washington Post survey, they are using the words "local community", "community", and "neighborhood". So is creating the word "hyperlocal" necessary or useful? (Or is it a hyperbole? ;-) - Can I use "hyperbole" here?)

What is the meaning of "close" in the above headline (Washingtong Post close on new hyerlocal sites)? Does it mean they are close (near) to providing content suitable for so-called hyperlocal sites?

Thank you

 

[TheParser]

Hello,

I came across this article - Washington Post close on new hyperlocal sites.

I found the defintions of "hyperlocal" here and here.

So, is it correct to say "one site's/publication's local is another site's/publication's hyperlocal"? In the Washington Post survey, they are using the words "local community", "community", and "neighborhood". So is creating the word "hyperlocal" necessary or useful? (Or is it a hyperbole? ;-) - Can I use "hyperbole" here?)

What is the meaning of "close" in the above headline (Washingtong Post close on new hyerlocal sites)? Does it mean they are close (near) to


providing content suitable for so-called hyperlocal sites?

Thank you

***** NOT ***** A ***** TEACHER *****


Olympian,


I was really excited by your thread, for print newspapers are my

passion (I wish The Times of London still had advertisements on the

front page). I have read that print newspapers are doing very well in

your country, but here in the States as we oldsters die off, the younger

generation is not taking our place. Some think that becoming

hyperlocal is the magical answer. Your links were great. I never

knew that there is an argument over the definition of "hyperlocal."

I think that most of us ordinary people define it as simply going

"super local." For example, my local paper is one of America's Top 5.

It has tremendous international and national coverage, but its local

reporting (about what is happening in this city) is so so. Some people

think it should fire its foreign correspondents and spend the money

on reporters who will cover this city better. Some people disagree:

they say that the people who read newspapers want foreign news.

They say that nothing will get the young people to start buying

print newspapers. (We once had a hyperlocal newspaper in a nearby

area. There was a joke that every time a cow went to the bathroom,

that newspaper would report that "news"!!!) Yes, I think that you have

interpreted "close" correctly.

Thanks for the great post.

 

[Olympian]

***** NOT ***** A ***** TEACHER *****


Olympian,


I was really excited by your thread, for print newspapers are my

passion (I wish The Times of London still had advertisements on the

front page). I have read that print newspapers are doing very well in

your country, but here in the States as we oldsters die off, the younger

generation is not taking our place. Some think that becoming

hyperlocal is the magical answer. Your links were great. I never

knew that there is an argument over the definition of "hyperlocal."

I think that most of us ordinary people define it as simply going

"super local." For example, my local paper is one of America's Top 5.

It has tremendous international and national coverage, but its local

reporting (about what is happening in this city) is so so. Some people

think it should fire its foreign correspondents and spend the money

on reporters who will cover this city better. Some people disagree:

they say that the people who read newspapers want foreign news.

They say that nothing will get the young people to start buying

print newspapers. (We once had a hyperlocal newspaper in a nearby

area. There was a joke that every time a cow went to the bathroom,

that newspaper would report that "news"!!!) Yes, I think that you have

interpreted "close" correctly.

Thanks for the great post.

Thank you for your encouragement and kind words TheParser.

I am glad you liked the post. I knew from your past response to one of my earlier posts that you like newspapers. I was hoping you would read my post.

Yes, the print newspapers are doing well here. One of the local newspapers (let me use my newly acquired terminology ) which is a broadsheet has 2 supplements - one has the same dimensions as the main newspaper, and the other supplement is probably tabloid size. I am not sure if it is the tabloid size so I will write the dimensions here - ~ 27 CM x 35.5 CM or 10 3/4 inches X 14 inches. The main newspaper is 13 3/4 inches X 21.5 inches.

But all newspapers are not the same size. Some are slightly wider or narrower.

And most of the newspapers also have an online version (most or all of online versions are free, although this may change). I read the paper version and go to the online version when I see an article that I think someone may be interested in so that I can email them a link. Interestingly, although the print and the online editions carry the same news/article, they sometimes have a different headline! (which makes my searching difficult). I don't know the reason for this.

The newspapers here have different editions for different cities. For example, one of the newspapers has 10 editions for 10 cities. So I don't know if that would qualify as "hyperlocal".

And, even in the online version, sometimes there are two formats of the same paper. One which has a lot of links and looks like a web page and the other an exact image of the printed paper.

So, typically the newspaper has a small daily calendar informing readers of programs/workshops/events in the city (but this mostly lacks useful/important information such as phone numbers and sometimes it is too late to use that information because the event has already taken place in the morning), and then there are pages dedicated to news about the city, state, nation and for international news. There are also syndicated columns from various publications around the world including Pakistani newspapers. On the city page, there are notifications for power and water supply interruptions for the day and it specifies times and localities/neighborhoods which will be affected.

The financial/economic newspapers are printed on a beige paper (not sure if that is the right name of the color, it is slightly pinkish). I am told it is for better readability, but I don't find them any more easy to read and also I start wondering if it is indeed for ease of reading, then why don't regular papers switch to that paper. The online version of the economic paper also used to be that color, but now it has switched to white.

Like the newspaper mentioned above, the economic paper is also published for many cities. Some business schools here subscribe to the print version of the economic paper for each of its students, even though now most of these students have a laptop and have Internet connectivity at home and at the college as well. So at least those youngsters read print versions, and since many households subscribe to one or more newspapers, I assume youngsters in those households (who are not business majors) also must be reading print versions.

Since there are many languages in India, and mostly each state has its own language (although some states do share the same language), many households subscribe to one or more English newspapers and one newspaper in the language of the state. Thus the local language newspaper has more content of that state.

After using, the newspapers are usually sold by the Kilo to the guy who buys old newspapers/magazines, empty bottles, cans and so on, in effect acting as a recycling center. In the days before plastic, and before the large grocery store chains, the smaller grocery stores would use such newspapers to wrap the stuff they sold (grains, sugar, salt, etc). Now-a-days, they use very thin plastic bags which choke up the drainage systems and which have an adverse impact on the environment.

Such hyperlocal (can I use the word like this?) stores are being rapidly replaced by Western-style chains. Wal-Mart will be here soon.

 

[TheParser]

Thank you for your encouragement and kind words TheParser.

I am glad you liked the post. I knew from your past response to one of my earlier posts that you like newspapers. I was hoping you would read my post.

Yes, the print newspapers are doing well here. One of the local newspapers (let me use my newly acquired terminology ) which is a broadsheet has 2 supplements - one has the same dimensions as the main newspaper, and the other supplement is probably tabloid size. I am not sure if it is the tabloid size so I will write the dimensions here - ~ 27 CM x 35.5 CM or 10 3/4 inches X 14 inches. The main newspaper is 13 3/4 inches X 21.5 inches.



But all newspapers are not the same size. Some are slightly wider or narrower.

And most of the newspapers also have an online version (most or all of online versions are free, although this may change). I read the paper version and go to the online version when I see an article that I think someone may be interested in so that I can email them a link. Interestingly, although the print and the online editions carry the same news/article, they sometimes have a different headline! (which makes my searching difficult). I don't know the reason for this.

The newspapers here have different editions for different cities. For example, one of the newspapers has 10 editions for 10 cities. So I don't know if that would qualify as "hyperlocal".

And, even in the online version, sometimes there are two formats of the same paper. One which has a lot of links and looks like a web page and the other an exact image of the printed paper.

So, typically the newspaper has a small daily calendar informing readers of programs/workshops/events in the city (but this mostly lacks useful/important information such as phone numbers and sometimes it is too late to use that information because the event has already taken place in the morning), and then there are pages dedicated to news about the city, state, nation and for international news. There are also syndicated columns from various publications around the world including Pakistani newspapers. On the city page, there are notifications for power and water supply interruptions for the day and it specifies times and localities/neighborhoods which will be affected.

The financial/economic newspapers are printed on a beige paper (not sure if that is the right name of the color, it is slightly pinkish). I am told it is for better readability, but I don't find them any more easy to read and also I start wondering if it is indeed for ease of reading, then why don't regular papers switch to that paper. The online version of the economic paper also used to be that color, but now it has switched to white.

Like the newspaper mentioned above, the economic paper is also published for many cities. Some business schools here subscribe to the print version of the economic paper for each of its students, even though now most of these students have a laptop and have Internet connectivity at home and at the college as well. So at least those youngsters read print versions, and since many households subscribe to one or more newspapers, I assume youngsters in those households (who are not business majors) also must be reading print versions.

Since there are many languages in India, and mostly each state has its own language (although some states do share the same language), many households subscribe to one or more English newspapers and one newspaper in the language of the state. Thus the local language newspaper has more content of that state.

After using, the newspapers are usually sold by the Kilo to the guy who buys old newspapers/magazines, empty bottles, cans and so on, in effect acting as a recycling center. In the days before plastic, and before the large grocery store chains, the smaller grocery stores would use such newspapers to wrap the stuff they sold (grains, sugar, salt, etc). Now-a-days, they use very thin plastic bags which choke up the drainage systems and which have an adverse impact on the environment.

Such hyperlocal (can I use the word like this?) stores are being rapidly replaced by Western-style chains. Wal-Mart will be here soon.

***** NOT ***** A ***** TEACHER


Thank you, fellow (print) newspaper fan, for your informative

post.

(1) I think that the newspaper capital of the world (i.e., London)

has a newspaper printed on pink paper (The Financial Times).

(2) It's great that your country still has many newspapers.

(I am astonished that London still has about a dozen

dailes!!!) Here in the States, most of the cities have only one

paper. When I was younger, we would subscribe to at least

two papers. Nowadays, however, it is too expensive for the

ordinary person to do so. The well-to-do in my city, I think,

subscribe to our local paper and then to a "national" paper

such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.

(In fact, I hear that London's Financial Times has more

American subscribers than British ones.)

Well, I had better stop before I bore you to death. Thanks again for

such a great thread.

P. S. In case you do not already do so, please check out London's

Guardian online. It has a fantastic media section that is updated

daily and completely each week. It's "awesome" -- as the young

people put it.

 

[birdeen's call]

Well, I had better stop before I bore you to death. Thanks again for

such a great thread.

It's a pity you chose to stop, it was fascinating.

I'll add that in my country, regional newspapers have changed a lot in the last twenty years. In my city, there's only one major paper left that isn't free. And it's not as popular as it used to be. Other regional newspapers in Warsaw are mostly free. One of them, Metro, is extremely popular because it's the only all-Warsaw one. This is what most Varsovians try to read in the most awkward positions while crowding in the bus. It's very thin and a little tabloidized.

There are also some very local papers, also free, which cover the news in one or more boroughs. They're popular enough to exist.

 

[TheParser]

That's a pity you chose to stop, it was fascinating.

I'll add that in my country, regional newspapers have changed a lot in the last twenty years. In my city, there's only one major paper left that isn't free. And it's not as popular as it used to be. Other regional newspapers in Warsaw are mostly free. One of them, Metro, is extremely popular because it's the only all-Warsaw one. This is what most Varsovians try to read in most awkward positions while crowding in the bus. It's very thin and a little tabloidized.

There are also some very local papers, also free, which cover the news in one or more boroughs. They're popular enough to exist.

***** NOT ***** A ***** TEACHER *****


Birdeen's Call,

Thank you for your interesting comments.

I have a terrible feeling that the moderators are going to move this

thread to another forum -- one for discussions.

Well, I can tell you that here in the States, free general

newspapers have not caught on ( = become popular). Oh, yes,

there are plenty of free specialized newspapers, but they do not

pretend to cover general news. Just news for selected audiences

-- the young, various religious groups, different ethnic groups, etc.

Where I live, most people drive. Public transportation is used mostly

by the poor and the old (like me). I never see many people reading

anything. The so-called ethnic press is still vibrant in the States

because of heavy immigration. In my city of 4,000,000 people,

there is one English newspaper for the whole city, but at least

3 Korean dailies, 5 Chinese dailies, 1 Spanish daily (More than 50%

of my city is now Spanish-speaking). I had better stop. (Wonder

what forum we are being exiled to!!!)

 

[birdeen's call]

Wonder what forum we are being exiled to!!!

I feel we're being indulged this one time!

 

[Olympian]

Thank you, TheParser. I am not at all bored. Actually I find the information your provide in your posts very interesting, informative and insightful. I am also afraid that (again because of my verbosity like my other post), we are in danger of being moved. although I DID ask follow-up questions about 'hyperlocal' to stay 'legit'. But if there is a proper forum for follow-up discussions, I would like to know more. I enjoy reading your well-researched and documented responses in general (not just to my posts).

Birdeen's-call, thanks for the interesting information.