The Charlotte Observer has created an experimental site, adjacent to their main web property, called the Charlotte Five.
It’s a WordPress website that highlights five articles a day, in a mobile-first layout. I love seeing sites like this at a local level, despite not having a big budget.
Nieman Lab did a full writeup on the experiment that you should definitely check out.
Another fun WordPress site that’s trying to innovate local news is Billy Penn, a site that’s mixing social aggregation and original news. Nieman Lab featured Billy Penn as well not too long ago.
Local news site all over the US (and I presume elsewhere) are trying to figure out new ways to engage readers, and it’s important for them to be able to experiment without breaking the bank. These kinds of organizations don’t have the same budgets as big media companies, but readers have similar expectations as to what the experience should be like.
This is a prime example of how WordPress — when done well — can help level the playing field between large and small media companies.
