NBC Shuts Down EveryBlock Without Warning

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 7, 2013 9:40PM

The homepage of EveryBlock.com

NBC shut down EveryBlock, the Chicago-based community forum popular with involved neighbors nationwide, citing financial challenges. In a farewell post, EveryBlock writes:

It’s no secret that the news industry is in the midst of a massive change. Within the world of neighborhood news there’s an exciting pace of innovation yet increasing challenges to building a profitable business. Though EveryBlock has been able to build an engaged community over the years, we’re faced with the decision to wrap things up.

Creation of the data-driven site was funded by the first ever Knight News Challenge in 2007 with a $1.1 million grant. Through an algorithm, news like crime and restaurant inspections was funneled into one place, accompanied by active community forums. In 2009, MSNBC purchased the site and relaunched it as a community-driven forum in March 2011. In a letter sent to NBC staff posted on Poynter, NBC wrote, "The decision to shut down the site was difficult, but in the end, we didn’t see a strategic fit for EveryBlock within the portfolio."

If you are totally heartbroken about the site’s demise, the good news is that you can still download the original open-source code the team uploaded three years ago and start your own attempt at revolutionizing local news and information. "Just know that it’s really hard to turn this into a profitable business," said TechCrunch.

The news came as a shock to EveryBlock founder Adrian Holovaty. He wrote in a blog post:

I left EveryBlock in August, after five years, as I was itching to make something new. I had no idea NBC News would be shutting it down (in fact, at the time, I said I expected it would be around for a "long, long time"). The last time I talked with an NBC News representative, at a conference a few months after I left EveryBlock, he indicated that NBC was optimistic about the site's future.

The news came hot on the heels of another Chicago hyperlocal site going hyperdead, raising questions about what sort of business model is necessary to keep a community-driven news source functioning. Just last week, Center Square Journal and Roscoe View Journal held a community meeting to determine the future of the sites as the owner moves on in hopes of finding a new, economically sustainable project.

Full disclosure: I served as editor of those sites from September 2010 to June 2011. After spending time reporting for a couple of small-town newspapers, I saw the important story that comes from something as simple as roadkill or the high-diver at the local fair. Every person has a story, and so does every block.

In the meantime, other hyperlocal projects with deeper pockets have thrived. The Patch network, funded by AOL, has succeeded in the suburbs and more recently expanded into Chicago neighborhoods, including Lincoln Square which was already served by Center Square Journal. DNAinfo launched in Chicago in November and is already a respected news source, especially excelling in covering underserved communities. When was the last time you saw a story about Englewood that didn't involve crime? Well, here's one. The group built a full newsroom right from the start, offering full-time (not just freelance!) jobs for qualified journalists to create serious, hard news. It's worth noting, though, that the project is funded by Joe Ricketts.

We had hoped NBC's decision to purchase EveryBlock would give some financial weight to a startup that had become an integral part of some communities in Chicago. If there's anything I've learned from my time in the writing business, it's that creative types don't always make good businessmen, and businessmen don't always make the best creative content. NBC has deep pockets, but that doesn't mean it cares about good content or local news. I can't help but think "not profitable" meant "Meh, we don't care."

EveryBlock was (and is) a great idea and it became important to those who depended on it as a means to being involved in the community. Where else can people go to commiserate about that crack in the sidewalk or create a book club with the folks on their block, while being inspired to attend a CAPS meeting? News sources (including our own) often scoured the forums for bits of information to develop into stories worthy of citywide attention. EveryBlock may not be what NBC calls profitable, but that doesn't mean it wasn't important.

But hey, you're reading this on a website that was the little startup that could when the Gothamist network started 10 years ago. Clearly you value local, independent news that succeeds on its own merit, so things can't be that bad out in the news business. I guess hard work and dedication is more valuable than any billionaire-backing.