Compiling local news via the Web

So, Google News now has a local news feature. I’ve had it set to e-mail my phone with any news with the keyword “Hesperia” for a while now, although that means I periodically hear about wrestlers from Hesperia, Michigan or the Hesperia hotel chain. Now, I can narrow things down by ZIP code instead. It’s not immediately obvious that it’s a big improvement for me, but for folks in a smaller community, being able to zero in by your ZIP code will let you see what’s happening in your neck of the woods, even if you live in New York or something.

And if you live in New York, there’s another alternative for you: EveryBlock, which currently only serves NYC, Chicago and San Francisco, but it collects more data than Google News does, including Flickr images from the area.

It’d be interesting to see this model applied somehow to more traditional media.

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