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Do We Really Need a Local News Paper?

By
Mortgage and Lending with Equity Resources NMLS 67179 Licensed in NC

Cary Citizen Hyper LocalI live in Cary, North Carolina... a small town that somehow MORPHED itself into the 7th largest CITY in the state.  Our "local" Newspaper was the Cary News... for YEARS we received our Weds and Saturday edition - this is where you really looked for the neighborhood kids playing sports, or engagements, or weddings.  It's where we had updates about the Rotary Clubs, and Lazy Daze pictures with features on Cary residents who did something interesting.  I LOVED it!

Then it was sold to the News and Observer in Raleigh... Then it was incorporated, and delivered as PART of the News and Observer paper.  As the News and Observer shrank - so did the paper, until it was no longer located in DownTown Cary - with a staff, and photographer who ate hotdogs at the counter at Ashworths.  It stopped being a "hometown" paper - in fact, I don't even look at it much anymore.

The Real Estate Section of the Cary News is pretty much gone - ditto the News and Observer.  We are Tweeting our Listings, and there was a recent post about the fact that FACEBOOK will quickly make SEO a "dinosaur" term.

A friend of mine is starting the Cary Citizen.  An online Hyper Local News source that organically pushes the picutres, and information I use to love about the Cary News.  I can get it on my phone, on my time, in bite sized pieces I'm interested in.

I don't think we're going to stop reading the USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal is probably safe - but do we really NEED a local Newspaper?  Would one that covers the State work?

Follow Me @isellmoneyIf you have questions about Cary, or the Research Triangle Park area - give me a call (919.649.5058), or follow me!

@isellmoney

Show All Comments
Tom Boos
Sine & Monaghan Realtors, Real Living - Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Providing the very best of service to Sellers and

It's very sad to see the local newspaper industry quickly dieing.  Nothing can replace it's effectiveness in delivering a community the "news" which is most important to the residents.

Aug 14, 2009 03:54 AM
Eleanor Thorne
Equity Resources - Cary, NC
Advantage Lending 919-649-5058

Yeah - and it's nice to "hold" a paper on Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee!

Aug 14, 2009 04:38 AM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

The days are numbered for the print media as we have been saying for some time Good alternative for the local news.

Aug 14, 2009 03:16 PM
Susie Blackmon
Ocala, FL
Ocala, Horses, Western Wear, Horse Farms, Marketing

Re newspapers - - their demise is exactly why Pat Kitano's Breaking News sites are so fortuitous. I have BreakingAshevilleNews and BreakingHorseNews (almost updated!) which provide real-time, Twitter-fed updates. Now if I could just do without sleep ...

Aug 15, 2009 01:22 AM
Stanton Homes
Stanton Homes - New Home Builder - Raleigh, NC
Design/Build Custom Home Builder in North Carolina

Seeing the newspaper shrink makes me sad... newspapers are so much a part of our history and culture, at least they used to be!  Online papers just aren't the same.  That said, it sounds like the Cary online paper will fill a gap in local news.

Aug 15, 2009 04:00 AM
Leesa Finley
RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC
RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

I am so connected with my Blackberry I can't tell you the last time I read the paper. Any paper.  I have every news outlet on my BB as well as Twitter and BN Alerts - just quicker, faster and more to the point.  (IMO)

Aug 16, 2009 01:23 AM
Hal Goodtree
Goodtree & Co., Inc. - Cary, NC
Web 2.0 for Business

Thanks so much Eleanor for plugging Cary Citizen.

Since we launched the preview about 3 weeks ago, we've gotten over 100 subscribers, 96 fans on Facebook, published more than 2 dozen articles, received lots of calls, emails and coments and had a trackback from the New York Times! It's been an eye-opener how much people want this to succeed.

We're looking for content creators about high school sports (and real estate and a few other things). Contact us for more info.

Every town has a story. We just can't rely on corporations based in Sacramento or New York to tell it.

Aug 17, 2009 03:58 AM
Linda Jandura
Raleigh Cary Realty - Apex, NC
Realtor, North Carolina Buyer & Seller Specialist

Now I'll subscribe to the Cary Citizen! There's another whole blog here about the use of local newspapers.

Aug 17, 2009 02:02 PM
Frances C. Rokicki
Fran Rokicki Realty, LLC - Bolton, CT
Broker-Mentor,CRS

Well, you could print out a blog about the news, and read it while sipping your coffee in the morning:)  I guess that could work.  Who knew?

We had local papers that went out of business, years ago.  They were best for reading on the local school happenings and sport's events.  When someone turned 50, a good friend would always be sure to post the event with an old photo:)  Some of that, fun stuff, is missed!

It's a Good Life!

Fran

Aug 18, 2009 02:57 AM
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