The Oct. 12 issue of Newsweek ran an interesting story about the growing legions of bloggers writing about their communities "with a zeal most journalists reserve for the big scoop." As further proof of the popularity of these sites, the author noted local online ad spending will rise by $1 billion in 2009 even as the recession causes a decline in the overall ad market.

Of course, for chefs and restaurateurs, this begs the question: Do you know your friendly neighborhood or town bloggers?

Depending on where you live, you might be talking about one or a dozen passionate locals who make it their business to show up at town hall meetings, Google map the latest potholes, or (see what I'm getting at here?) alert readers to a new restaurant opening down the block.

Some regional and city newspapers have even started hyperlocal sites to supplement their anemic local coverage. They now rely on bloggers as their eyes and ears in neighborhoods and towns.

That's why building relationships with these folks is just as important as reaching out to traditional media outlets. As the Newsweek story noted, "Big players still see a future in hyperlocal coverage, a model that virtually eliminates the huge printing and delivery costs that burden newspaper publishers."

I don't know if hyperlocal blogs will be the magic bullet that saves the media, but I do know these bloggers are picking up the slack for journalists who only have time these days to cover the "big scoop." And what their stories may lack in polish, they make up for in enthusiasm and resonance, because they're writing about what's happening closest to home. Don't be short-sighted and foolish by writing them off.