Even as newspapers continue to explore the value of rolling out grassroots-oriented Web sites and special sections, one of the first publishers to pioneer citizen journalism has quietly halted syndicating the concept to other publications.

Elaine Zinngrabe, Denver Newspaper Agency’s senior vice president, interactive, said that while DNA is no longer actively marketing YourHub, newspapers can still license the service.

DNA two years ago began syndicating YourHub.com after receiving inquiries from other newspapers interested in the concept (see Newspapers & Technology, April 2006).

 

The syndication kit included content publishing and hosting software as well as strategies for marketing, editorial and sales.

DNA charged newspapers a one-time setup fee of between $2,000 and $10,000 and a recurring monthly license fee of between $250 and $5,000, depending upon market size.

Still available

YourHub, a combination of Web sites and weekly printed publications, made its debut in Denver in 2005. The concept, produced by the Rocky Mountain News, is promoted and printed by the DNA, which also publishes The Denver Post.

Currently, the Denver YourHub encompasses 47 Web sites and 18 print editions.

Outside of The Buffalo (N.Y.) News and The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the newspapers that syndicated YourHub were either MediaNews Group Inc. or E.W. Scripps-owned properties, reflecting the publishers that share ownership of DNA. They included the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida and the Wichita Falls (Texas) Times Record News.

But The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel, a Scripps paper that was an early adopter, recently discontinued YourHub, said Jack Lail, managing editor of multimedia.

Changing strategy

“Our strategy has changed. Instead of doing three geo-targeted print publications, we now do one in our home county,” he said. “A separate publication we own is doing community zoning.”

Lail said The News-Sentinel is continuing to offer opportunities for users to contribute content through four different sites, aimed at prep sports, college sports, education issues and for the nearby Smoky Mountains. The sites were created on Ning.com, a free social networking site.

Lail said that some user-generated features can also be supported in the Ellington CMS platform the newspaper uses for its Knoxnews.com Web site (see related story above).