West Bronx' Online Paper Reveals the Real Promise of the Web

Those of us in the trade have looked for the first simmering signs that grassroots, community-generated journalism might actually become real. We've see some signs in places -- usually in suburban places, nice, small, gainly places. Places like Half Moon Bay, Westport, Brattleboro, Montclair, N.J.

Now the West Bronx News Network, an umbrella for three sites in one of New York City's toughest areas, is telling us something new about the power of the press, the online press, and reminding us that A.J. Liebling's famous line about freedom of the press belonging to those who own one may have a new meaning in the 21st Century.

Manny Fernandez' story in the New York Times describes the Mount Hope, Norwood and High Bridge neighborhoods of "bodegas, African markets and tall, brick apartment buildings." He tells us the larger area is home to 128,000 people -- that's twice the size of communities that such user-gen sites as Backfence and YourHub will tell you they need to build an online "neighborhood."

Building an online neighborhood is what the founders of the sites are trying to do. What makes Mount Hope different than the Brattleboros and Half Moon Bays? You can start making your own list, but don't forget this one: there's really no local print medium serving it.
A community needs its own voice, and if print can't grow and survive, mainly online can.

It's about brand new, so don't expect a lot of activity yet, for instance in its blog. But you can see how these tools are set up for success. Calendars. Links. Local news. Local photos. In English and Spanish. It's about a place, and that's ultimately what new media pioneers in West Bronx and Westport are trying to reclaim.

The network is funded by One Economy Corporation's "Beehive". Let's hope it's one of many new sprouts to find life.