Focus: Covering news, lifestyle and events in south Dallas, an area with a 500,000 population; information categories include politics (local, state and national), education, environment, sports, media, religion, the arts, and Jr. reporters; links to some neighborhood or other local blogs. Opinion pieces and news about nonprofit organizations in the area are also featured.

Started: 2009

Staff: Editor is Shawn P. Williams, who ran the Dallas South blog for three years, according to a press release about the site’s launch, which also said the Dallas South News “will utilize professional journalists, citizen journalists, bloggers, and volunteers to cover issues that are relevant to residents of Southern Dallas. Board of Directors include media staff from traditional print and television outlets, community organizers, civic groups

Business: nonprofit supported by donations, contributions, advertising

Site: dallassouthnews.org

From About:

Dallas South News is a nonprofit news organization utilizing technology, social media, and journalistic principles to empower and inform underserved communities.

Dallas South News uses a combination of traditional journalists, citizen journalists, and bloggers to provide a fresh perspective to news stories important to Southern Dallas communities. We cover local news as well as provide state and local commentary on a variety of topics.

…

Dallas South News holds workshops and seminars designed to empower residents to produce news stories using mobile phones, digital cameras, and mini video devices, as well as to utilize social media tools like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

Southern Dallas is home to over 500,000 people, which is more than the city of Atlanta. Dallas South News covers stories and events that are important to the residents of this area. Local media outlets have targeted other areas of North Texas as their core readers, putting this area on the backburner. DSN sees Southern Dallas as its core and will provide citizens there a much needed voice.

Sample stories: “Bill White on Texas race with Dallas South News Part 1 (audio)”; “Bill White Part 2: Candidate answers question of whether he’s avoiding President Obama (audio)”; “UNCF Rallies North Texas to Help Students Graduate”; “Dallas County District Attorney’s Statement Regarding Proposed Cuts to Public Safety”; “Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS Celebrates 10 Years of Cycling to Support Local HIV/AIDS Service Organizations”

Focus: “to devise new strategies for coverage of critical issues affecting the lives of Californians and to engage Californians more fully in the democratic process by combining best journalistic practices with the power of new media tools”; blog posts include discussion and analysis on California media

Launched: First blog posts appear September 2008, group founded May 2007.

Employees/Writers: Founded by Louis Freedberg, Ph.D., a San Francisco Chronicle higher education and Washington correspondent until 2007. Five other staff members. Nineteen-member board of directors; supported by high-profile foundations.

Site: californiauncovered.typepad.com

This initiative is based on the premise that the turmoil in the news industry should not be left to the media to resolve, but needs the involvement and support of key California constituencies, including the non-profit sector, academia, philanthropy and civic leadership. 

Sample entries: “Are online newspapers sustainable” (last post, March 2009, as of June 2); “The disappearing Capitol photographer”; “A revenue milestone at Latimes.com?”

Focus: “online publication dedicated to news that matters for people in our region”; ”Dedicated to core values of journalism”; original content and aggragated national, world content; news, arts, lifestyles, health, science, neighborhoods 

Launched:

Funding: Non-profit, donation-driven

Employees/Writers: 6 reporters, 6 editors, other auxiliary staff; crowdsourcing and open contributions through “Public Insight Network” where “your knowledge is news.”

Multi-media component

Site: stlbeacon.org

Collaborations with public television, local library association and Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. A pull quote from the About page:

Founded by veteran journalists, the Beacon aims to serve and engage citizens by offering a distinctive new news medium. Join in this effort by sharing your experience, insight and suggestions. Together, we can build a Beacon that illuminates our region and shines outward to the world.

From Public Insight Network write-up:

Thanks to e-mail and the Internet, our editors and reporters can quickly find and learn from thousands of people who have experience or knowledge on a story we are covering. We call this the Public Insight Network, and it relies on people like you — our public sources.

You have knowledge and insights that can help us cover the news in greater depth and uncover stories we might not otherwise find.

Sample stories: “Republican Bill Corrigan launches campaign for St. Louis County executive”; Beacon art critic: “Akerman’s work deserves the time it takes to view”; “Why the United States needs GM — and other American car companies — to succeed”

Focus: Arizona state capitol, legislative issues

Launched: January 2009

Founders: 4 reporters laid off from the East Valley Tribune.

Funding: LLC owners, subscription service  paywall.

Web site: arizonaguardian.com

Location: Phoenix

Sample stories: “[Gov.  Jan] Brewer unveils budget, girds for legislative battle”; “[Sen. John] McCain staffer wanted by Phoenix authorities”

From “About  us” page: “[The founding reporters] also have broken ground in the creation of a new business model for Arizona journalism. Epler, Giblin, Reinhart and Welch serve as equal co-owners of Arizona Guardian, L.L.C., the Guardian’s parent company. Joining the four is publisher Bob Grossfeld who is the fifth equal co-owner and responsible for all non-editorial operations.”

In the news: Here’s a February 2009 MediaShift story — good depth — about The Arizona Guardian (and Heat City, another AZ news start-up).