Hyperlocal

[Benjamin Barrett]

In this week's edition of "This American Life," Ira Glass has a segment on hyperlocal journalism. Wiktionary and Wikipedia have "hyperlocal," but not the OED or the AHD.

The earliest I see on GB is 1867 (http://ow.ly/c3el4) followed by 1869 (http://ow.ly/c3emc), both religious in nature, perhaps intended as nonce uses.

In 1940 (http://ow.ly/c3eo0), there is a citation with reference to photography. There are also a couple of reference to mathematics along the way but I don't recall when.

In 1971 (http://ow.ly/c3epR), there is a nice precursor to "hyperlocal journalism": "...combined with a very modern demand for hyperlocal, small-production foodstuffs."

In 1991 (http://ow.ly/c3esQ), "Time" magazine has: "Cable systems, which serve more circumscribed areas, have jumped in with a fresh twist: the news they provide is hyperlocal." Also in 1991 (http://ow.ly/c3evH): "Watch for an increase in local cable news. A recent Channels magazine article termed it "hyperlocal" coverage, and likened it to..."

I don't see "Channels" online, but that is perhaps where to look to find the earliest citation for this meaning.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

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