There, users discuss local bands and hangouts, organize neighborhood watches and pursue romance or other interests. I don't think Microsoft, no matter how big it is, is going to devote 500 people to Philly. It's not going to be easy for them to get the information we've been putting into our papers. Maybe not, but the 83,742-circulation evening daily has long syndicated regional news to other New England papers, an experience that helped it find an appealing niche with Digital City. That's important to our audience.
Packaging becomes the priority.
We're investing heavily in a very high standard. With its partners' help, AOL creates some original Digital City content, including coverage of the Boston Marathon and a proposed Virginia light-rail service. Whether cable company or computer giant, a telco or two kids in a garage, no one holds more cards in a market than its newspapers. It's the publishers' job to convince them that if they're going to hook up with an information provider, they should hook up with the leader. Some publishers adopt an emerging strategy of providing content to one or more partners while maintaining a stand-alone online service.