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

When New City Patch went live on April 28, it was Patch's first site in Rockland County and site No. 50 on Patch's growing list of local news web sites. Today, less than four months later, Patch celebrates the launch of its 100th local news web site – Morristown Patch in New Jersey.

At Patch, we're much more concerned about telling the world of the news in your community than about what's going on inside our company. But as we kick off the 100th Patch today, we're taking a little time out to reflect on what's happened at Patch since it started just two years ago.

Based in Manhattan, Patch was founded in February 2008 and the first three Patch local news web sites launched simultaneously in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn-Short Hills, N.J. in February 2009. At the time, I was a senior editor at a daily newspaper in New Jersey, and I was closely watching Patch because of its fresh new approach to community journalism.

Things really got big for Patch in June 2009 when the company was acquired by AOL. Since then, AOL has invested $50 million in Patch and its web sites now cover communities in nine states. Journalists working for Patch have written more than 55,000 local news stories and our web sites have posted nearly 1 million photos.

There's a lot happening at Patch, but outside of the world of journalism many people don't know about Patch until a site comes to their town. Patch spends most of its resources on its people and giving them the tools they need to cover their communities and doesn't spend a lot of energy on mainstream media advertising.

When Patch came to New City in April, there were few who knew about its web sites or the company. But after more than three months of intense local news coverage on a daily basis, New City Patch has become a key part of the daily news habits of thousands of New City residents. And, just two weeks ago, Nyack-Piermont Patch kicked off to expand local news coverage in Rockland – with Nanuet Patch getting ready to go live soon.

In Rockland, Patch reporters and photographers can be seen everyday at local meetings, festivals, parades, community happenings, sporting events and checking out local businesses. Patch is here to cover the local news – regardless of whether it means going to the steps of the County Courthouse or to the steps of the White House.

"Patch.com has become a must go for anyone who believes in the value of local news and building community," commented Diana Hess, who is chief communications officer for New City-based Jawonio. "Patch.com covers stories not by column inches but by truly telling the story, in depth and personal. The reporters have been great about not only doing phone interviews but coming to do site based and program based interviews. The fact that we can interface with Patch.com on our FB and Twitter pages is also another way to get out our Jawonio story. Patch.com also, via editor Bill Demarest went above and beyond by covering the "Jawonio goes to the White House" story that day by joining us on the South Lawn. They were the first ones with the story and we received incredibly positive feedback."

When New City Patch launched in April, the Clarkstown Central School District was in the middle of a budget battle with the potential of major cutbacks that could affect generations of students. New City Patch immediately started covering the budget process, but we also started covering what goes on inside Clarkstown schools – from art shows and butterfly gardens, to concerts, sporting events and science projects.

We were also there on election night, when voters overwhelmingly supported the school district's budget and sent a message that they want quality schools in Clarkstown.

"I am grateful for the commitment Patch.com staff has had to providing up-to-date coverage on all events related to Clarkstown schools," commented Clarkstown Schools Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan. "The staff has been accessible and professional; a truly pleasurable, knowledgeable group with whom to work."

Whether it's a school board meeting, a Town Board workshop session or a Rotary Club meeting, New City Patch keeps the community up-to-date on quality of life issues that range from things as small as new anti-littering signs to the multi-million makeover of downtown New City.

"The New City Patch has become an essential part of my daily routine and search for local news," commented Clarkstown Town Board member George Hoehmann. "The Patch offers a rare approach to local news that keeps the community well informed."

Since New City Patch launched, the web site has also put a continuous focus on public safety issues, including law enforcement and the volunteers who man the local fire and ambulance units.

"New City Patch focuses on our community with news and events," commented Clarkstown Police Chief Peter Noonan. "It is a great resource for local events and announcements. Information is posted in a timely fashion and can be accessed 24 hours a day seven days a week. It's good to see this media is interested in all the positive things happening in our community."

While New City Patch and the 99 other Patch sites are focused on covering the news of your community, Patch also encourages readers to take advantage of our web sites to share your news directly through our events and announcements features. Sign in as a Patch member – it's free – and you can help share the news of groups that you are a member of, businesses to which you are affiliated or simply share the successes of friends and family members.

While Patch continues to grow and evolve, the one thing that isn't changing is our focus on local news and its impact on the community.

"Having New City Patch come onto the scene is just fabulous, as it provides a down home, on scene, personal perspective of happenings in our neighborhood right here in New City," commented Rockland County Legislature Member Ed Day, R-New City. "Patch has provided this community a forum to bond and to do what life is about; celebrate our achievements, speak our minds, grieve our losses, and most importantly, know what is going on in our own neighborhood. With so happening here at this point in time, the future of the hamlet and New City Patch are tied together, with great things certainly in the offing."