MSNBC.com Acquires EveryBlock

Local news aggregate lets users enter their zip code for targeted information

By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/17/2009 1:35:15 PM

MSNBC.com has acquired Chicago-based EveryBlock, a news aggregate that offers hyper-local information in several cities including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

EveryBlock is a local aggregate that lets users enter their zip code for targeted information about property sales, crime reports, restaurant inspections, building permits, political news and graffiti cleanup.

EveryBlock will continue to operate as an independent site, according to the announcement from MSNBC.

"EveryBlock has developed the platform, tools and services to inform and transform community news using a data driven approach," MSNBC.com president Charlie Tillinghast said in a statement. "At a time when traditional news coverage of local government has declined under severe economic pressure, EveryBlock has emerged as a scalable solution to reporting basic public information. Combined with our editorial skills, presentation strengths, and the community capabilities of Newsvine, we are positioned to help EveryBlock lead us into local markets nationwide and serve as a foundation for a new form of local journalism."

MSNBC.com joins a growing list of news portals getting into the local game. ESPN.com recently announced its intention to expand its local sports coverage to New York, Dallas and Los Angeles after a successful pilot project in Chicago. And HuffingtonPost.com has expanded to the Chicago and New York markets and has plans to launch a local site in Denver.