Hyperlocal Journalism and PR: Diversity in Roles and Interactions

Abstract

Hyperlocal media has repeatedly been framed as a potential saviour of local journalism, but the democratic and civic role that often is ascribed to hyperlocals is not obvious or uncomplicated. The hyperlocals' vulnerable economic situation makes them dependent on free content, for example material produced by local councils or organizations. This paper investigates the role of hyperlocal media entrepreneurs and their interaction with local councils and other stakeholders. We examine how the hyperlocal media entrepreneurs supply their communities with news in places of a media void, and how they perceive their role in their communities. Findings from this qualitative study show that the media entrepreneurs view their news production as an important part of the local community. They provide a forum for debate and information for citizens, local governments and organizations. Their service also includes a channel for local events relevant for the community. The interactions with the local governments vary, as well as the hyperlocal entrepreneurs' evaluation of how the information provided by the councils can or should be handled. The relation between hyperlocal media entrepreneurs and local governments is a complex process, including both interrelated and contradictory goals.

Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North

“…The selection of the three countries studied was motivated mainly by the authors' access to the empirical data in these countries. At the same time, the authors' previous research (Dovbysh & Mukhametov, 2020;Jangdal et al, 2019) demonstrates that the local media in these three countries have both differences and similarities which justify a comparative analysis.…”

A Decade of Research on Hyperlocal Media: An International Approach to a New Media Model

“…With this in mind, Stúr, Jangdal, and Nilsson (2018) discuss the relationship between hyperlocal media and city councils through the vision of their entrepreneurs. It is shown that the watchdog function that hyperlocal media can perform depends on the relationship they maintain with the local government.…”

Hyperlocals Matter: Prioritising Politics When Others Don’t

“…Most hyperlocal operations in Sweden are less than ten years old. The founders range from journalists to "non-professional amateurs and enthusiasts" (Leckner, Tenor, and Nygren 2017, 4) but have in common that they consider their role in society important (Jangdal, Cepaite Nilsson, and Stúr 2019). Some predict growth in this sector by anticipating that layoffs in legacy media could mean more journalists may venture into their own independent digital news start-ups (DeRienzo and Smith 2016).…”