Providing hyperlocal news is more than merely zoning in on a certain community, rather it requires interacting with that community to provide a unique news experience. Patch's partnership with Starbucks is a prime example, as the coffee shop ambiance adds value to the news consumption experience. Boston.com's Your Town hyperlocal website is upping the ante, re-targeting its focus onto smaller communities within the Boston area.

In a press release, Boston.com announced its hyperlocal Your Town will be expanded to 16 neighborhoods in the Boston area, which are expected to debut throughout this fall. Robert Kempf, vice president of The Boston Globe and Boston.com, comments "Boston truly is a city of neighborhoods and each has a distinctive identity. We believe adjusting the 'Your Town' model to include coverage of neighborhoods will be the most useful way to serve Bostonians. It is hyper-local journalism at its best." Similar to Patch's hyperlocal model, Your Town will designate a local reporter for each neighborhood who will be responsible for generating content and managing the hyperlocal webpage.

Residents in Boston are encouraged to act as citizen journalists by having the ability to upload photos and join discussions on neighborhood issues. Additionally, Your Town offers some practical services and information. Users can pay town and city bills online, access trash and recycling schedules, order parking permits, access neighbor events, research real estate listings, and keep track of high school sports. "With school back in session, the sites will be helpful tools for families planning after-school and weekend activities for younger children, and for college students to learn about activities happening right in their own neighborhoods," Boston.com writes.

From browsing around the site, Your Town appears user-friendly and well designed. Different aspects of the site are separated in different tabs at the top, making it easy for users to find information on news, events, schools, and sports. A "Flyerboard" on the side has an electronic bulletin board where companies can advertise to these different communities.

Hyperlocal websites are quickly gaining popularity, alluring readers to be in the "know" in their local communities. Yet with larger cities such as Boston, coverage on such a large scale might be too vast to fit into the concept of hyperlocal. The local site TBD was recently launched to cover the Washington DC area, yet it might also find that it too will have to narrow its scope of reporting.

Sources: Boston.com press release