AOL's hyperlocal news project, Patch, saw a huge boost in its traffic due to the November 2 midterm elections. According to Editor & Publisher, the network had a 300 percent traffic increase as visitors sought local results for the mid-term elections.

Warren Webster, president of Patch, said that Election Day accounted for the network's biggest traffic day yet, with the Santa Cruz Patch being the most popularly searched area.

The company, who said it is going to be the largest employer of journalists in the nation, has launched hyperlocal sites serving populations ranging from 15,000 to 75,000 across the United States, from Washington State to Rhode Island. However, the company is still expanding and according Nathalie Broizat, aims to cover 500 towns and regions by the end of the year.

In 2010 alone, Patch has hired 600 journalists and is still adding to that number. So where does this leave traditional local newspapers? Will the growth of Patch result in even further declines in local publications?

Roy Greenslade from The Guardian said that a major reason local papers are still surviving is due to the consolidation of staff. He said, "The (digital) innovations (editors) favor are those that reduce production costs and, thus, staff numbers. That may be good for the business of newspapers, but it is not good for journalism and, therefore, not good for the public."

With more and more journalists being cut from their traditional print jobs, Patch picks them right up and integrates them into their digital platform. BeetTV.com reports that 75 percent of Patch staffers are also making more than their previous job. With popularity growing, attractive job offers and salaries, what do local newspapers need to do to hang onto their writers and stay in the game of community based news?

Sources: Editor & Publisher, BeetTV