ABSTRACT
Today, topics lacking the high profile that would merit coverage in Chicago’s daily papers are the province of several websites serving the city or parts of it. Chicago is not unique in this regard; Web-based hyper-local journalism is a growing phenomenon. A study by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism (2007) identified nearly 500 citizen news media sites nationwide. But Chicago may be unique – or at least unusual – in having a half dozen such news sites not affiliated with each other or with any common organization in one metropolitan area. This case study elaborates on some recurring approaches offered by this assortment of sites, as well as unique elements of some of them, to help explore how they “provide Chicago residents with the information they need to make smart decisions about public affairs” (Dougherty, 2009).
