Editor's Notebook: Patch Celebrates its 100th Site Launch

Today Patch celebrates a crucial milestone in its short history, as we welcome Morristown Patch to our ever-growing family of local news sites.

An idea that began a year and a half ago with a trio of sites in Essex County has quickly grown to 100 sites across nine states. With a significant commitment from AOL, our corporate parent, we will soon be reporting from hundreds of communities throughout the United States.

However, as we grow, our commitment to our core principles remains unchanged. Morristown editor John Dunphy now will be bringing residents of his Morris County community news from close to home—the news that matters most.

Wyckoff Patch became the first Patch site in Bergen County last September, and in the months since, you've perhaps seen me about town or read stories about the people and places you care about. Whether it was news from a township meeting you didn't know was happening, a sports game you couldn't attend or a profile of an interesting resident you didn't otherwise know, we've been here to tell your stories.

In our short existence, we've kept close tabs on commercial developments in the township, become a fixture at town hall and both boards of education, reported from among the business community and attempted to explain how state- and county-wide policy initiatives affect our home community. After all, how valuable is information if you don't know how it will impact you and your neighbors? At Patch, we cast a wide net when it comes to story topics, but have one overriding belief: local matters.

As all forms of media try to find their way in the Internet age, traditional outlets have experienced painful cost-cutting, with fewer eyes on the people and policies that deserve attention. Sadly, often those cuts mean less focus on smaller communities such as Wyckoff, as newspapers and other media try to reinvent themselves with rapidly shrinking staffs.

The growth of the Web and the simplification of site templates has democratized the news-gathering process, with virtually anyone able to blog about the issues that matter to them. But opinion pieces don't necessarily serve the need for objective information, delivered fairly and accurately.

Patch stepped into the fray with a simple idea: focus on local communities and deliver daily news while taking advantage of the best the Web has to offer.

We hope to provide an interactive, multimedia experience that is shaped by you—the reader. Sure, my team of freelance reporters and I write "traditional," sourced news stories, but we also offer videos from events around the township, quick links to organizations and people cited in stories, source documents referenced in news articles, and other relevant digital resources.

And we can't do it without your help. Own a business in town? "Claim" your directory listing and use the space to provide the information and media you'd like to present. Have a strong opinion about a story? Let everyone know by commenting on the article. At the same event as Patch? Share your photographs and videos by simply uploading them to our report.

After all, this isn't my site or Patch's site. It's yours. In the last 11 months I've gotten to know many of you and rarely hear "Nick from where?" anymore. But Wyckoff Patch remains very much a work in progress. Not a day goes by that I don't learn something new or meet someone I didn't know while moving through the township. I hope to see and hear from even more of you as time goes by and know that your input will be crucial toward determining the shape and scope of Wyckoff Patch.

As we celebrate Morristown's launch today, we also look toward a bright future. Our original sites in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn-Short Hills were quickly joined by sites throughout New Jersey after AOL acquired Patch last June. With the company's $50 million commitment to Patch, we'll be launching news hubs in states throughout the nation, each staffed and run locally. Here in Bergen County, Wyckoff and Ridgewood will soon welcome neighbors in towns such as Fair Lawn and Paramus—and that's only the start.

But no matter how large we grow, we're always a phone call or e-mail away. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think and what you'd like to see covered. Contact me anytime at 201-208-3349 or nick@patch.com.