Journalism students wondering about the viability of entrepreneurial journalism, hyperlocal journalism and the value of news blogs would do well to study The Lichfield Blog.
In less than two years, the blog has rightly established a national reputation because of the enterprise, energy and enthusiasm of its editor, Ross Hawkes.
He ensures that the blog runs original content, breaking news stories and holding local politicians and bureaucrats to account.
He is able to do this, in part, because the people of Lichfield have caught on and provide all sorts of tips.
But his traditional journalistic skills are also to the fore. He explains:
"It's about knowing your patch inside out, it's about attending community meetings and knowing local decision-makers, it's about getting away from deadline and target-driven writing."
Hawkes was 16 when he started work as a sports reporter at the Lichfield Post (closed by its owner, Trinity Mirror in July last year).
He moved on to other TM titles in the Midlands. Over the course of the following 13 years he edited a Coventry weekly, became a page planner and sub-editor with the Birmingham Mail, and then graduated to the role of senior multimedia editor for the Midlands.
It was the realisation that Lichfield - a city of 30,000 souls - was under-reported that led him to creating the blog early in 2009.
His vision was shared by a local web developer, Philip John, who built the site's technical base and established the connections with local users of blogs, Facebook and Twitter (all of which are major sources of stories).
John's new media skills, and his innovative approach, have been essential to the success of the enterprise.
The Hawkes-John partnership is echoed by the partnerships that have sprung up between the blog and Lichfield's citizens.
Hawkes says: I've always loved local journalism... The Lichfield Blog has allowed me to do that and more. It's given me the opportunity to see that partnerships are the way forward.
"I've also re-evaluated what I think (and that's the crucial bit – my thoughts) media should be doing. We try to combine news and info. We try and make advertising affordable to local businesses.
"We try to do exactly the sort of things local newspapers did once upon a time. It's perhaps not the formula to get me rich, but I never got into journalism for the money, so why should I change that now?"
I'm glad to say that Hawkes is passing on his knowledge to the next generation of journalists too. He now teaches online journalism at Staffordshire University.
Sources (and hat tips): Paul Bradshaw/Nick Booth