Focus: “A blog about Nashville”; little original content, mostly news links roundups to content (local and statewide) or posts incorporating content from elsewhere, i.e. hybrid stories; information categories include News, Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, Music City, Sports

Started: May 2008

Staff: 2 editors — Christy Fink and Morgan Levy; guest bloggers; contributed content

Funding: advertising

Site: nashvillest.com

From About:

In Nashville, we have it great. We’re a stone’s throw from Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Asheville, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinatti, St. Louis, even Chicago. We live in a vibrant and diverse city with no shortage of dining and entertainment options. Our city is rich with historical significance and quirky landmarks. Here at Nashvillest, we’re aiming high – We’re giving Nashville the respect it deserves. We’re more than just a city with deep country music roots – We’re bloggers, geeks, hipsters, zombies, sports fiends, actors, agriculturists, history buffs, artists, art enthusiasts, animal lovers, coffee drinkers, concertgoers, activists, parents, students, outdoor adventurers, marathon runners, music lovers, photographers, sushi eaters – and of course, musicians and tourists. And more.

Nashvillest is here to bridge the gap. Yes, we’ll be at the Twitter meetup (we’re huge Twitter geeks), but we’ll also be at the Sounds game and at Movies In The Park with our friends. We’ll also try the new Krayp Kafe and maybe swing by Fat Straw or Gigi’s Cupcakes for dessert, so we can give you a heads up on what to expect. And we’re going to let you know when everything happens, because we died a little inside when we heard about the presidential candidates coming to town… after they were gone. Our mission is to never let that happen again.

We told you we were aiming high.

Sample posts: “Bright and Early: Neck and Neck Edition” news links roundup; “Happy Hour: Sunny Side Up” links roundup; “Seven Shows for Seven Years: Happy Birthday Mercy Lounge”; “Remember MLK with Free Frist Center Day”; “Cheekwood Returns to Roots with $.50 Admission in January”

Other: promotional links to independent news sites Knoxify.com in Knoxville, and Chattarati.com in Chattanooga

Focus: “Chattanooga News & Opinion”; original reporting, links to other sites, contributed content;  information categories are Metro, Culture, Neighborhoods, Editorial, and Calendar

Started: July 2008

Staff: Chattarati is operated by three partners: editors David Morton and John Hawbaker, and technology director Daniel Ryan. Site has about a dozen contributing writers and neighborhood bloggers. All staff and contributors are unpaid/volunteer at this time.

Funding: For-profit; advertising and other revenue streams to be introduced in 2010

Site: chattarati.com

From About:

Chattarati is maintained by John Hawbaker, David Morton and contributing writers from the metro Chattanooga area.

The website was developed by Daniel Ryan and designed by Jordan Lee. Powered by PressWorks.

Mr. Hawbaker: Chattarati is “an independent, online news site serving the metro Chattanooga area. We provide original coverage of government, business, nonprofits and the arts, along with a growing collection of hyperlocal neighborhood blogs. Our goal is to provide a platform for citizens to engage with the community.”

Platform: PressWorks