ABSTRACT
Digital technologies now allow news organizations to bring the news closer to
the consumer than ever before-in the palm of their hand via the smartphone or
tablet. In addition, these devices are embedded with geo-location or GPS capabilities
(Farman 2012), opening a world of location-based activities for the on-the-go consumer.
Nowadays, consumers are actively using location-based services for activities ranging
from social networking to play (Sutko and de Souza e Silva 2011). They are also using
their smartphones for other location-based services such as finding directions on a
map, checking weather, finding local restaurants, going online for news about the com-
munity, and getting traffic information. Thus, the idea of location now takes on a differ-
ent connotation for the individual in this digital era.
