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In 2010 the Guardian found a way to look forward into the future of local journalism. The decision was made to launch a online-local journalism community that focused on civic engagement. Youth especially were said to have interest in the project that provided them information about people, events and local issues within their communities. According to paidcontent.org  fans of the project expressed disappointment on Twitter and Guardian.co.uk comment sections.

Paidcontent.org also shared the comments of the publisher, Meg Pickard who commented on the project by saying, “unfortunately, while the blogs have found engaged local readerships and had good editorial impact, the project is not sustainable in its present form.”

Project like the Guardian’s isn’t relatively new and have been around in the field of journalism, although the focus of civic and local journalism does appear to be a rising trend among online journalism outlets. Therefore, the question of the future of online-local journalism is still to be determined.

Related articles

• The Guardian Cans Its ‘Unsustainable’ Local Websites (paidcontent.org)
• Is there a future for hyperlocal media? (zdnet.com)