YourHub civic site spreading out to more newspapers

By Marcelo Duran
Associate Editor


The YourHub citizen journalism syndication service is beginning to take root at papers beyond those owned by its primary backer.

The Buffalo (N.Y.) News and The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., each rolled out the grassroots initiative last year. They are the first to sign on to the service outside of papers owned by E.W. Scripps and MediaNews Group.

The (Denver) Rocky Mountain News in 2005 developed YourHub in concert with Denver software developer Indigio. The service is offered in the Mile High City by the News and its JOA partner The Denver Post, owned by MediaNews.

The Gazette, owned by Freedom Communications Inc., launched its YourHub service last fall, using it to power 13 different sites, according to Tim Bergsten, editor of YourHub at coloradosprings.com.. The paper found it easy to integrate YourHub into its operation.

“We spent about three weeks learning to use YourHub at the administrative level and pre-loading a variety of information, stories, photos and blogs on each site,” he said.

The paper opted for YourHub because of the close proximity of technical support — Denver is 60 miles north of Colorado Springs — and readers’ familiarity with the Denver-area hubs.

Concept familiar

“The brand name was already out there; we simply introduced it in the Colorado Springs market,” he said.

The paper receives about 20 to 30 entries daily from its more than 2,000 registered users.

“I think people enjoy reading the blogs and stories, but we need to get more people involved,” he said. “We’re still too new to know for sure what people like.”

The Gazette delivers three weekly YourHub print editions to subscribers, which replaced the paper’s former weekly editions. A fourth YourHub edition rolled out in May; it’s the first print product introduced by The Gazette in six years, Bergsten said.

“We are giving regular citizens the opportunity to write about the people, issues and events in their lives that are important to them,” he said.

The Gazette employs five community journalist and one photographer to cover Colorado Springs’ YourHub communities. The journalists monitor the Web sites, lightly edit stories and choose which ones earmarked for print.

“They also write a short story or two each week, but the need for reporter-generated stories is going away as more citizen copy rolls in,” he said. “But their biggest responsibility is embedding themselves in the community, stretching the role of journalist from observer/reporter to participant/reporter.”

Buffalo wings it

The Buffalo News, meantime, is managing eight YourHub sites with six more to come, said Leigh Balcom, The News’ sales and operations manager.

The paper picked YourHub because it liked the platform and extended the brand of the paper, Balcom said.

“The best thing about YourHub is that it allows people to report on things the newspaper may not,” he said. “Events like Little League games, neighborhood events and even some issues affecting the community.”

The Buffalo YourHub has more than 550 registered users who have generated more than 2,000 pieces of content since the site went live.

“I hired two online interactive managers who go into the community and talk up the product and encourage people to post content,” Balcom said.

Unlike The Gazette, The News doesn’t currently produce printed YourHub editions, but its sites recorded a combined 64,000 page views last month, Balcom said.