How well do you know your neighbourhood?  If news happens around you, how do you find out about it?

The short answer is… most of the time, you don’t. 

Well, maybe if it effects people outside your community or it’s really sensational.  But what about the kind of news that effects you and your neighbours, and that’s all.  News that probably won’t matter to most people who don’t live near you?

That’s a large and important gap the needs filling and you can fill it.

Take for example, the article: “Oak Tree at Windsor Park Sheds some Weight“.  An article reported the other day in the suburb of Parkvale in Hastings about an Oak tree that had lost a large limb.  (If you’re looking at articles for Hastings on Locally Informed, you won’t see it in your news list.  You need to have the suburb of Parkvale selected before it will turn up.)

To anyone not living or who wouldn’t often visit Parkvale, this news would be unimportant.  However, over the school holidays, nearly every day, rain or shine, cricket matches were being held at Windsor Park.  Those in attendance were either avoiding the wind and rain or the sunshine by sheltering under the 100+ year old Oak trees.

Now, anyone who’s thinking of sitting under those trees next time, just might be interested in this news.

It took only a minute to snap a photo with a camera phone and write up a short message on Locally Informed.  Parkvale is now better locally informed.

Now how about in your neighbourhood?  The next time you see something happen that you think your neighbours might be interested in finding out about it, post it!

After day 1, we got some feedback that choosing locations was a big clunky and a few of you were getting errors.

So, we’ve gone in and made it better.

The next time you choose a location and there’s a problem, it will redirect you to a detailed page to choose your locations.

Tell us what you think about choosing locations.  Could it be better? Different?

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand – Today in New Zealand, what matters most to you and your community, just became clearer.

NZ-based start-up, Locally Informed (locallyinformed.co.nz), brings to New Zealand a new way to uncover the local news and local knowledge that matters most to people in their communities.  And, perhaps most importantly, a new way to solve the challenges and tasks each of us face every day, through its Solution Marketplace, by leveraging the power of Crowdsourcing and creating incentive-based participation through the use of Locally Informed Credits.

“From the get-go, Locally Informed presents two compelling opportunities for everyone in New Zealand to earn extra income and become more locally aware and connected” says Shane Redlick, co-founder and director of Locally Informed.

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Stepping beyond the boundaries of traditional news publishing, Locally Informed searches and organises news and local knowledge from hundreds of sources on the internet into one place, all continuously updated.  Additionally, readers enhance existing news and information by contributing their own photos and discussions. They also contribute their own stories and local knowledge as citizen journalists.

“If it’s online and has something to do with your neighbourhood, city or region, our aim is to provide access to it”, says Shane.

Prior to Locally Informed, Shane was behind the Canadian publishing start-up Opinion250 News Inc, based in Northern British Columbia (www.opinion250.com). 

“Locally Informed draws on the experiences of Opinion250”, says Shane, “providing the openness, access to information and sense of community we created back in Canada”.

Andrew Ross, co-founder and director, got behind Locally Informed early last year, after the sale of his Napier-based software firm, to US-based SolarWinds (www.solarwinds.com) (NYSE: SWI).

Together, they’ve come up with some controversial ideas about what they think online news and information should be about. So much so, that they’ve published a list of 9 statements , which define their Manifesto (http://locallyinformed.co.nz/data/Locally-Informed-Manifesto.pdf).  Statements such as “Building Community”, “A News Democracy” and “Revolution”.

Shane and Andrew are joined by a team of 12 Community Editors in cities from around the country (http://locallyinformed.co.nz/community-editors).   “The local understanding and knowledge that each editor brings to the table is crucial to the effectiveness of Locally Informed in each community” says Andrew.

Because of that, Locally Informed is launching in only a handful of locations for now, including: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Hastings, Lower Hutt, Manukau, Napier, Taupo, Wellington, and Northland. 

“From the beginning, we want to be effective in the communities where we establish” says Shane.

Perhaps the most compelling, the 3^rd and final part of Locally Informed, is its Solution Marketplace.  The Marketplace leverages local knowledge and expertise to help people find a new way of solving the challenges and tasks they face every day.

“Instead of trying to solve every challenge and task on your own, you tell everyone around you!” says Andrew.

The idea of getting others to help out in this way isn’t new.  In fact, it’s often referred to as Crowdsourcing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing).  What is new, however, is leveraging its strength at a local level and combining it with News and Information publishing.

“In every other community or news website we’ve come across, visitors are asked to contribute to the website out of the goodness of their heart or for some other motivation” says Shane.  “We’ve introduced a Credits system, where people are compensated for contributing.  The more popular their contribution becomes, the more Credits they earn”.

People can then spend their Credits or use them as rewards in the Marketplace.

“Our revenue comes from the sale of Credits.  If you’ve not earned enough Credits by contributing news and information, or by winning a Contest or Contract in the Marketplace, you purchase them at a 1:10 ratio. 1 NZ Dollar for 10 Credits”, says Shane.

“Within each community exists the knowledge and skill to solve and build almost anything” says Andrew “and once people wrap their heads around this way of finding solutions, they’ll uncover a new and powerful way to get things done”.

For additional information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Shane Redlick, 028 2550 3622, shane [,at] locallyinformed.co.nz
Andrew Ross, andrew [,at] locallyinformed.co.nz

Last November, we put out a call to Journalists, Reporters and Editors interested in getting involved with Locally Informed as a Community Editor.  We received interest from nearly 200 people from throughout New Zealand, with backgrounds and experience in many areas of journalism and community involvement.

Of those applicants, a process ensued, which helped us find the best 12 candidates who are now your Locally Informed Community Editors.

Each community represented on Locally Informed, will have at least 1 Community Editor, whose responsibility includes

• Helping organise news and information 
• Approve and publish stories
• Moderate discussions
• and more…

Your Community Editor plays an important role within Locally Informed.  Please take the time to engage with them and thank them for making your community a better and more informed place to be.

	Keryn Densem Christchurch		Lauren McKenzie Christchurch
	Johanna Grotenhuis Dunedin		Merja Myllylahti Auckland
	Helena Harvey Taupo		Sheldon Nesdale Tauranga
	Phillip Heath Whangarei		Phillip Quay Hamilton
	Simon Hendery Hawke’s Bay		Mark Saunokonoko Auckland
	Simon Jarvis Wellington		Anusha Vishnampet Auckland

The moment we’ve all be waiting for…

On Feb 1 at 11am, we’ll open up the doors and let you all in!

In the mean time, have a listen to our Welcome Message and watch the Getting Started Videos.

Locally Informed (http://locallyinformed.co.nz), a privately funded New Zealand publishing start-up , is seeking expressions of interest from journalists, reporters and editors throughout New Zealand, in all locations.

Locally Informed publishes online and is the next generation offering to a hyperlocal publishing company established a few years ago by one of our directors in Canada.  With a small team, readership was grown to 1 million page views per month in year one and later to a record 6 million in year three.

Initially we seek to engage those who’ve expressed interest, in helping us to define the role of Community Editor.  Through this process, we’ll invite a handful of people to become active Community Editors for Locally Informed in their community in New Zealand. 

We’ve intentionally left this role open ended to have you help us define it. Part of process will involve discussion of compensation for the role.  This has not been pre-determined, but will not be a salaried position.

Upon receipt of your expression of interest, we’ll send you an information package with further details.  Please apply via this website or by emailing us directly with your name, email and CV to hello@locallyinformed.co.nz . 

About Locally Informed

Stepping beyond the boundaries of traditional news publishing, Locally Informed is a new idea in local News, Information and Solutions Marketplace.   It’s about what matters most to you and your community.

Locally Informed is independent, free to use and is not supported by advertising sales.