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The publisher of ARLnow.com is planning to launch a local online news publication covering the Capitol Hill area sometime this fall.
Scott Brodbeck, the founder of the publishing company Local News Now, said the news outlet will broadly cover the Capitol Hill, H Street NE, and Navy Yard neighborhoods, though it is still figuring out its exact boundaries.
In addition to ARLnow.com, Local News Now also operates BethesdaNow.com and RestonNow.com.
“What I have been hearing from people in the area is that there is a void—-there’s not a daily news source that covers that area and it’s a very dynamic and civically engaged neighborhood,” Brodbeck tells City Desk. “We’re launching this fully recognizing that there is some really excellent part time-bloggers out there…But we are going to have a full-time news professional.”
The publisher posted a job announcement on its local news sites Tuesday seeking a founding editor/reporter for its new D.C. operation. “Candidates should have a nose for scoops, a drive for breaking news and a passion for local reporting. Having lived or worked in the District is a major plus,” the posting reads. The company is looking for someone with at least two years of local news reporting experience.
Although Local News Now is just looking to hire one person, Brodbeck says the D.C. site will use freelancers to cover stories. He stressed that the site will be producing original content and will not rely on aggregation, though it will at times link to local stories from other publications. The site will include everything from coverage of local ANC meetings to feature stories.
Local News Now started in January 2010 with the launch of ARLnow.com. Brodbeck says, excluding some recent investments into the publications’ websites, the company has been “marginally profitable.”
“This is a growing company and we wouldn’t be expanding if we didn’t think the expansion was sustainable,” Brodbeck says. “We’re trying to expand slowly and deliberately and in a way that is sustainable.”
As for a name for the new venture, Brodbeck says they are still working on that.
“We haven’t settled on a name yet—-you could say it’s TBD.”
Oof, that sounds ominous. Maybe they should think of something else.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery