New editors focus on hyperlocal LI coverage

Everyone in the news business, it seems, wants to be as hyperlocal as possible -- in a big way. The recent hiring of two people well known in local journalism circles is a case in point.

Patch, the AOL-owned hyperlocal news service that has just expanded to Long Island, has hired David Reich-Hale to be editor of its Island operations, which at the moment include seven sites but promise to be far more soon. Reich-Hale, who has been editor of Long Island Business News for six years, begins Monday as head of Island operations for Patch.com.

At the same time, Newsday has hired Carl Corry, who was also once editor of LIBN, to be its online editor for local news and products. Corry until recently had been an Internet editor at News 12, owned by Bethpage-based Cablevision Systems Corp., which also owns Newsday.

Reich-Hale promises to be as aggressive a journalist at Patch as he was at LIBN.

"We want to cover all the details of towns and villages in a way that nobody else covers it," Reich-Hale said. "Those things are the great white space of the Internet. We will cover sports, Little League, zoning issues, the things that matter to people in communities." Reich-Hale, who will oversee Patch's seven LI sites, says he will focus on education issues.

In a statement, Newsday said, "Newsday.com is focused on delivering the hyperlocal news, tools and information that Long Islanders want and need every day, and Carl's intimate knowledge of Long Island brings tremendous value to our Web site, and to our team."

The Long Island Press, a weekly, also has an online site that seeks out the hyperlocal Islandwide.