Small town news organization goes online

(NECN: Jennifer Eagan, Grafton, Mass.) - With a number of newspapers folding nationwide, a news organization in Grafton is hoping to thrive by going global. In a time when media outlets are downsizing, one small town news organization is hoping to take a big time approach to readers. “We want to be on top all the breaking news as it happens.” Jack Schofield kicked off Graftontimes.com on Monday. Staffed with a reporter and publisher, the site aims to bring local news and announcements to people in town. Schofield says in 24 hours, more than 1,700 people have visited the site. Barbara Zang is a communications professor at Worcester State College. She says while local online websites provide useful information, it remains to be seen if they'll have the news gathering power of regional newspapers that have been around for decades. Because of drop offs in revenue, several newspapers have folded since the start of the year. In Central Massachusetts, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette has gone through buyouts and rolled back employee pay. Readers have noticed the paper getting thinner and thinner but there's a lot more lost than just the feel of the paper.