Topix taps Web readers to bolster local news

By Robert MacMillan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Web news search site Topix, owned by three top U.S. newspaper publishers on Monday will begin recruiting users to report local news that traditional outlets do not sufficiently cover in a bid for more readers.

Registered readers will be able to submit news to the site from their computers and mobile phones. The service is the latest attempt to engage "citizen journalists" and expand on local news offered by city and small town newspapers.

The site was created by Gannett Co. Inc., McClatchy Co. and Tribune Co., which have invested $64 million to date. It aims to give Internet users a centralized place to find local stories and make money from advertisers keen on targeting specific markets.

The new service homes in on as many as 32,500 U.S. postal zones. The number of sustainable news forums would be smaller, but Topix should provide a valid testing ground for such ventures, industry analysts said.

"They've created a container, or culture, where it's possible to really see if it will work," said Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling.

Topix co-founder and Chief Executive Rich Skrenta said the idea stemmed from his wife's attempts to build support for a mayoral candidate in their hometown of San Carlos, California.

He set up a blog for the candidate's supporters, but they found it difficult to use and constantly update.

Topix's local news forums will automatically update with news, but human editors can take over and introduce fresh material if the reader contributions slow down, he said.