NY Times Jumps on “Local” Bandwagon with New Blog Network

new york times logo NY Times Jumps on Local Bandwagon with New Blog Network

It seems like everyone is getting in on the "local" scene lately, and the New York Times is next.

The New York Times will unveil a neighborhood blog project next Monday. Here is the scoop:

Look out, local bloggers, the Gray Lady is moving in on your turf. Starting next week, The New York Times will be rolling out a neighborhood blog initiative starting mid-day on Monday. Our home soil of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill will be one of the two pilot sites (the other site will cover Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange in New Jersey). According to an email that was forwarded to us, the subject matter will include “cultural events, bar and restaurant openings, real estate, arts, fashion, health, social concerns and anything else that goes on in the ‘SoHo of Brooklyn.’”

The newspaper's current editors will contribute to the new network but so will local citizens. It will feature unpaid contributions from local readers who can post on just about everything under the sun.

Another interesting feature - the blog network will feature a map-based real-estate section that will interact with the New York Times’ main real-estate website.

It's interesting to see what kinds of new and innovative things newspapers come up with as the industry suffers, both offline and online, from the current recession.