Everyblock – how would your newspaper use it?

Perhaps there is a more strategic reason newspapers have not implemented the Everyblock software yet. What exactly would a newspaper implementation of everyblock look like?

⁃ A stand alone site, that the newspaper links to?
⁃ A separate section of the newspaper site?
⁃ Somehow integrated into the CMS providing context?
⁃ Something else entirely?

In order to answer these questions I think it’s important to define the expected outcome. What would be the expected goal if implementing Everyblock on a new website? Here are my top three:

1. Build online “hyper-local” neighborhood resources – Many newspapers lack a true hyper local aspect to their site. The ambition would be to segment news and information down to the neighborhood or even block level. Something most CMS’s don’t do, or newsroom organizations are not equipped to manage. Everyblock could in theory provide a framework for a newsroom with a narrowly focused workflow.

2. Publish public records – Everyblock includes some powerful data tools. From scraping & parsing data to publishing subsets in logical groups. Many smaller news organizations still collect data the old fashioned way. Individual spreadsheets are not uncommon, but completely unuseful in creating data driven web features. Portions of the Everyblock code could be used by newspapers to collect, store, organize and retrieve public data in a highly structured and consistent manner.

3. Content discovery tool – Everyblock.com in it’s now commercial form allows the user to browse it’s data in an interactive way. This process of discovery by the user is missing from newspaper sites. Everyblock could provide newspapers with an alternative to the traditional list of headlines interface.

How would you like to see everyblock used in a newspaper environment?