Hyperlocals get new online community

Communities and local journalist are benefiting from the launch of an exciting new platform to share information, tips and ideas.

As part of Cardiff University, The Centre for Community Journalism (C4CJ) has created an online forum for community journalists and hyperlocals which was launched this week.

The forum is being launched in response to a demand from the sector for an open online space to debate and discuss ideas, knowledge and innovation.

The pioneering project also incorporates a private space where users can discuss sensitive information eg: advertising rates and printing costs.

Centre Manager Emma Meese said: “We are delighted to be launching the forum on our website.

“The sector is a melting pot of skills and knowledge, from promising start-ups to established and successful businesses. But reaching out and meeting up in person is difficult. There is no hyperlocal version of Fleet Street or the Press Club; and no village hall big enough to accommodate the 400+ hyperlocals in the UK...”

The forum, which can be accessed here, will also be available via the C4CJ website.

Visitors to the site will be able to register as a hyperlocal, or simply as a person interested in this field.

The forum has been developed by Dan Davies of Gecko Digital Media, based in Cardiff.

C4CJ recently announced plans to set up a representative network for hyperlocal publishers. The forum is the first of many deliverables the network aims to provide.