www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4343 -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 10/5/2007
Last Visited: 10/5/2007
Co-owned by a novelist (Debbie Galant) and a journalist (Liz George), Baristanet is by all appearances thriving just three years after its founding.
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Its mix of news stories big (the arrest of a local murder suspect) and small (a debate over artificial turf at a local playing field) as well as reader-supplied commentary and photos attracts about 80,000 unique visitors a month, according to co-owner George.It's also selling ads--to local supermarkets, real-estate agents and restaurants.Baristanet has gotten so much buzz that Galant and George have recently branched out as consultants to other hyperlocal entrepreneurs.
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That's enough for Galant and George to hire a full-time freelance editor and a few part-time employees.
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"As soon as the money's there, I'll commit to it" full-time, says George, a special sections editor at New York's Daily News.