Mapping Skils Test

In my Digital Newsroom module at UCLan, we have been discussing the idea of using the internet for hyperlocal journalism. Hyperlocal journalism is the process of focusing on a small area of a certain region and giving it coverage on a more local level than it usually receives in the local media.

Regional newspapers have a wide area to cover and a limited space to fill; this means that many events which happen in a local area could be substituted for ones which the editor feels are more newsworthy. However online journalism means that there is more space for a wider range of stories. This allows hyperlocal journalism to occur.

Through this process, local places may be reported for the first time and people may not know exactly where these places are. This is where mapping comes in handy. Mapping allows the reader to interact with the stories in a way that they couldn't if they were reading a newspaper.

As part of a university assignment I was asked to create a map using 4 articles taken from the print version of the Lancashire Evening Post, I then had to create a map in Google using My Maps. The map I created can be seen below, it is interactive and by clicking on the pointers you can find out more information about the story.


View Lancashire Evening Post Mapping in a larger map

I feel that there are many advantages to using mapping in online journalism. Seeing the locations of a story on a map...

• helps the reader visualise the story
• gives another dimension to the multi-platform medium
• puts the story into context
• makes a place easier to find
• helps people relate to the story
• brings the community closer together by including areas not normally covered in the regional media

If you would like to contact me regarding this or any other blog post, feel free to email me at FDent1@uclan.ac.uk