Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Massachusetts daily newspaper group launches "Wicked Local" web offshoot
Wicked Local Breaks New Ground - Media site integrates news, citizen
journalism and local search.
QUINCY, Mass. -- March 15, 2006 -- Enterprise NewsMedia, LLC today announced the launch of Wicked Local, a network of hyper-local websites that will draw news content from affiliate newspapers, offer a robust platform for citizen journalism and provide a comprehensive local search resource.
The venture will launch first with news and citizen journalism in Plymouth, MA with Wicked Local Plymouth (www.wickedlocalplymouth.com <http://www.wickedlocalplymouth.com/> ) and with local search throughout the Boston region with Wicked Local Search (www.wickedlocalsearch.com <http://www.wickedlocalsearch.com/> ). The company is planning to expand the network in the market over the next two years.
"Wicked Local is integrated in nature. It marries professional journalism with citizen journalism in a way that will gain and sustain audience traction," said Bob Kempf, vice president of interactive media. "As publishers of community newspapers, we are in an ideal position to host and lead the local conversation and information exchange in the communities where we publish."
Wicked Local Search provides the venture's advertising support with a distinct focus on paid search. "We felt a need to move beyond simple platform shift with our newspaper classifieds and display advertising," said Kempf. "We've taken that content and integrated it with listings aggregated from other sources in order to provide our readers with a truly comprehensive local search engine. As a result we can offer advertisers a range of effective upsell and paid search options around that content." Wicked Local Search is powered by Planet Discover, a search technology company.
Enterprise NewsMedia, publishers of the Patriot Ledger, The Enterprise and 23 community newspapers in the Boston area, sees Wicked Local as an integral part of its overall audience development strategy. "We envision a seamless network of communities being served by Wicked Local," said CEO Kirk Davis. "Not only will this product deepen our reach within the region we currently serve, but it's been developed as a platform for 'wicked' expansion. This is a transformational step for our company and we're very excited about it."
In addition to professional journalism from the company's print publications, Wicked Local will provide in-depth community information, easy-to-use tools for readers to contribute news and photos and opinions, blogs from staffers, and much more. "People are looking for a central source where they can find all the news they want, how they want it," said Wicked Local online editor Courtney Hollands. "Wicked Local satisfies the ever-changing appetite of today's news readers."
Wicked Local is the most recent venture of rapidly growing Enterprise NewsMedia, the South of Boston region's leading local media company. The company's Plymouth-based Memorial Press Group has expanded the weekly and bi-weekly community newspaper portfolio, closing on the acquisition of the 12 Associated and Independent newspapers earlier this month. Enterprise NewsMedia operates SouthofBoston.com and publishes the Plymouth Guide for tourists.
For more information contact: Bob Kempf; 617-786-7078, rkempf@ledger.com <mailto:rkempf@ledger.com> or
Anne Eisenmenger; 617-786-7266, aeisenmenger@ledger.com <mailto:aeisenmenger@ledger.com>
This release may be viewed online at: www.wickedlocal.com/press
<http://www.wickedlocal.com/press>
