Main Street Connect
Encyclopedia
Main Street Connect is an American community journalism
company specializing in hyperlocal media, that is located in Norwalk, Connecticut
, and currently operates several town-based news web sites in Fairfield County, Connecticut
. Its business model seeks to combine the resources of a national company with the effectiveness of locally operated, web-based news sites.
in 1999), who describes his new approach as a hybrid of The New York Times
and Facebook
. The company raised almost $4 million in its first round of private equity funding, an amount which made news in the journalism industry. The company's editorial director is financial commentator and author Jane Bryant Quinn
, who is also a member of its board of directors. Others associated with the company include Peter Georgescu, former CEO of the marketing and communications company Young & Rubicam
, and John Falcone, former executive with mobile advertising company SmartReply.
Main Street Connect first appeared as town-centric news sites in Fairfield County, Connecticut
, named "The Daily", such as the first one, The Daily Norwalk for Norwalk, Connecticut
(where the company is based). Ten such sites were in operation by the end of 2010, compared to a stated original goal of fifty. Main Street Connect has 44 full-time employees as of mid-2010.
The franchising structure of Main Street Connect has been explicitly likened to that of the McDonald's
fast food chain. It works via a local group hiring journalists to cover a community, with the national entity supplying a framework for website technical hosting and support, working capital, and guidance related to fundamental business strategies. There is no start-up fee, and Main Street Connect gets 17 percent of a site's revenue. The eventual goal is to provide an attractive platform for national brands to advertise on, and to support a higher advertising rate than local websites can typically charge and one that it closer to the level that used to support local print newspapers. The company's target for 2013 was to have 3,000 sites operating with some 10,000–15,000 journalists involved; existing community newspapers are not seen as potential franchisees. The long-term sustainability of Tucker's business model, and his vision of Main Street Connect "helping to rebuild a profession", attracted some skepticism from the Columbia Journalism Review
, which also found most of the editorial content of the early Connecticut sites uncompelling, albeit presented in a colorful and exciting manner.
In February 2011, it announced that the one million mark in visits to its websites had been passed, and subsequently said that the sites get about 110,000 unique visitors per month against an underlying population of some 420,000 people. By March 2011, the franchising model seemed de-emphasized by Tucker, who instead spoke of opening "pods" of about ten sites each. The company said it would launch three pods totaling 31 sites in Westchester County, New York
on June 1, and Tucker said, "We are hiring like crazy." Tucker said they were seeking a national partner for 2012; stated goals for 2014 were now even loftier than the previous goals for 2013.
Main Street Connect's start coincides with a renewed interest in local advertising among national companies. It competes most prominently another national-local combination, AOL
's Patch.com, but takes a slower approach than Patch in rolling out new sites. It also competes with news aggregators such as Topix, event aggregators such as Eventful
, and content creation sites such as Examiner.com
and Yahoo's Associated Content
.
Community journalism
Community journalism is locally oriented, professional news coverage that typically focuses on city neighborhoods, individual suburbs or small towns, rather than metropolitan, state, national or world news....
company specializing in hyperlocal media, that is located in Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, and currently operates several town-based news web sites in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
. Its business model seeks to combine the resources of a national company with the effectiveness of locally operated, web-based news sites.
History
The company was founded in December 2009 by Carll Tucker, a veteran of the community news business with Trader Publications (sold to Gannett CompanyGannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
in 1999), who describes his new approach as a hybrid of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. The company raised almost $4 million in its first round of private equity funding, an amount which made news in the journalism industry. The company's editorial director is financial commentator and author Jane Bryant Quinn
Jane Bryant Quinn
Jane Bryant Quinn is an American financial journalist. She is one of the nation's leading commentators on personal finance...
, who is also a member of its board of directors. Others associated with the company include Peter Georgescu, former CEO of the marketing and communications company Young & Rubicam
Young & Rubicam
Y&R is a marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.-History:...
, and John Falcone, former executive with mobile advertising company SmartReply.
Main Street Connect first appeared as town-centric news sites in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
, named "The Daily
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
(where the company is based). Ten such sites were in operation by the end of 2010, compared to a stated original goal of fifty. Main Street Connect has 44 full-time employees as of mid-2010.
The franchising structure of Main Street Connect has been explicitly likened to that of the McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
fast food chain. It works via a local group hiring journalists to cover a community, with the national entity supplying a framework for website technical hosting and support, working capital, and guidance related to fundamental business strategies. There is no start-up fee, and Main Street Connect gets 17 percent of a site's revenue. The eventual goal is to provide an attractive platform for national brands to advertise on, and to support a higher advertising rate than local websites can typically charge and one that it closer to the level that used to support local print newspapers. The company's target for 2013 was to have 3,000 sites operating with some 10,000–15,000 journalists involved; existing community newspapers are not seen as potential franchisees. The long-term sustainability of Tucker's business model, and his vision of Main Street Connect "helping to rebuild a profession", attracted some skepticism from the Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia Journalism Review
The Columbia Journalism Review is an American magazine for professional journalists published bimonthly by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961....
, which also found most of the editorial content of the early Connecticut sites uncompelling, albeit presented in a colorful and exciting manner.
In February 2011, it announced that the one million mark in visits to its websites had been passed, and subsequently said that the sites get about 110,000 unique visitors per month against an underlying population of some 420,000 people. By March 2011, the franchising model seemed de-emphasized by Tucker, who instead spoke of opening "pods" of about ten sites each. The company said it would launch three pods totaling 31 sites in Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
on June 1, and Tucker said, "We are hiring like crazy." Tucker said they were seeking a national partner for 2012; stated goals for 2014 were now even loftier than the previous goals for 2013.
Main Street Connect's start coincides with a renewed interest in local advertising among national companies. It competes most prominently another national-local combination, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's Patch.com, but takes a slower approach than Patch in rolling out new sites. It also competes with news aggregators such as Topix, event aggregators such as Eventful
Eventful
Eventful is a web service which aims to help users search for, track, and share information about events. Eventful is a service of Eventful, Inc. from San Diego, California...
, and content creation sites such as Examiner.com
Examiner.com
Examiner.com is a media company based in Denver, Colorado, that operates a network of local news websites, allowing "pro–am contributors" to share their city-based knowledge on a blog-like platform, in 238 markets throughout the United States and parts of Canada with two national editions, one for...
and Yahoo's Associated Content
Associated Content
Associated Content is a division of Yahoo that focuses on online publishing. Yahoo's Associated Content distributes a large variety of writing through its website and content partners, including Yahoo News.-History:...
.