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"Editorial is what’s kept this place together for the last few years, thanks to you, sir."
Warren St. John, Patch CEO
A Long, Hard Road For Patch Editorial
SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW THE PATCH STORY because they read a few news articles about Aol’s ambitious, strategically iffy local news gamble way back in 2010 — a thousand journalists hired, hundreds of millions in dollars invested — and the nasty board of directors battle in 2013 that led to the project’s downsizing and spinout. But that was just the start of this startup story.
In a handful of states, Patch had built a sizable audience worth saving and serving. A small band of Patchy pirates — fewer than 50 journalists — tried to do just that. For a few years, the struggle was ugly. Damn ugly. Cry in your beer ugly. 😭 In 2014 and 2015, Patch subsisted on a small crew of editors covering huge beats, working way too many hours to pump out a high volume of aggregation posts, SEO gimmickry, and far too many crime and viral stories — tragedy porn — just to keep the company alive.
The industry looked down its nose at this version of Patch, and not without reason.
But a funny thing happened on the way to supposed oblivion.
The hard work to put down new roots bore some fruit. The company turned a profit in 2016. Patch started to grow again, kicking off a five-year run of gains in profitability, traffic and subscribers. Local editors got more time to report original local stories with greater frequency. Local beats got smaller. (Staffers who covered a dozen communities or more now would report on three, five or six.) Journalistic credibility and quality improved. The stories got better, and the public noticed. Email signups surged year over year. Other companies, news orgs, non-profits and universities wanted to partner with Patch, too.
Each year, Patch plowed the profit back into the team, and I was able to expand editorial staff, improve the CMS, shrink beat sizes and encourage stronger and more impactful local journalism.
Here are several highlights from my years as Patch’s No. 1 fan and head coach.
'The best coach ...'
"I don't think Dennis will ever know just how we all marveled that he could parse data and draw best practices from it, just seamlessly juggle so many things. He is the best coach, has great instructive stories, is a fierce defender of press freedom, and he's funny as hell."
Deb Belt
Patch regional editor
former Des Moines Register
community publications editor
Patch's boots-on-the-ground pandemic and local election coverage was frequently cited on MSNBC, Fox News, Politico and many local outlets.
The only time Rolling Stone, Hunter S. Thompson and Patch have appeared in the same sentence! 😆 Most of the linkouts in Politico Illinois and New York were to Patch local government scoops.
Growing Credibility, Quality, Recognition And Reputation
Chicago writer Mark Konkol wins Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Award three consecutive years, 2020, ’21 and ’22
NJ local editor Caren Lissner (author of the novel and film “Carrie Pilby”) wins the Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for Excellence in Community Journalism, 2021
CT local editor Anna Bybee-Schier wins SPJ’s Hyperlocal Investigative Reporting Award for her reporting on a corrupt Fairfield official, as well as two Hyperlocal Diversity Coverage awards, 2021
Patch wins 26 reporting awards across seven states in 2021
Joliet IL local editor Joe Hosey, who defied a judge’s order to reveal sources in 2013 and received the National Press Freedom Award, named Illinois Journalist of the Year, 2015
The average beat size shrinks from 12 communities to five, allowing local editors the time to get closer to their communities and do more original reporting
Patch journalists appear live on CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox News, NewsNation, the Dr. Drew Radio Show and various local TV and radio programs to discuss their original news reporting; frequent linkouts in Politico's New York and Illinois playbook newsletters; Patch stories featured on Morning Joe, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and other shows
IL local editor David Giuliani on WGN Chicago
CA local editor Kenan Draughorne on CBSN
Chicago writer Mark Konkol on CBSN
NJ local editor Anthony Bellano on CBSN
President Joe Biden publishes an exclusive op-ed on Patch in February 2021 explaining his strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic
Live newsletter subscribers grow by 18% year over year in 2021 — on top of 2020's record-breaking pandemic surge
In 2018, Patch debuts in the Ad Fontes Media Bias chart, placing solidly in the top and middle of the grid — alongside AP News, PBS and Reuters — for fact-based reporting and minimal bias; NewsGuard rates Patch 100/100 for credible reporting and transparency
Patch ranks among the Top 10 national news sites and Top 50 websites in Alexa audience data
Patch partners with the Institute for Nonprofit News in 2020 to offer members a revenue-sharing News Partner program
Editorial onboarding, orientation and training program achieves a 97% satisfaction rating among new hires surveyed in 2020-21
Patch chronicles the toll bullying takes on children and parents in a 2018 series titled The Menace of Bullies and partners with NoBully.org to raise awareness; reporting on this serious issue continues across the platform
In October 2019, Patch beat all of its 2018 records:
86.1M monthly page views; 32M unique visitors
1.86M News Partner page views
70,000 user posts by 28,000 registered users
plus, new $$$ records for bookings, revenue and paid posting
Some of those records were broken a few more times in the months that followed. They were shattered in the 2020 pandemic coverage when the hardest working team in local news reached 148M monthly page views and 48M unique visitors.
The local editors are the heart, soul and strength of Patch
Local People, Places And Stories That Mattered
Dennis 'always made us feel we worked with him, not for him'
"I‘ve been in journalism a long time and can’t remember too many bosses who defended, supported and praised his reporters like Dennis. He was quick to build you up and never tore you down and was always the biggest cheerleader for a news organization he helped to build from the ground up. He took chances on people who needed a second chance others weren’t willing to provide, always praised you for a job well done, and helped you dust yourself off when you got knocked down. He always made us feel we worked with him, not for him."
Jeff Arnold, NewsNation national reporter
former roving Patch field editor, former NY Times and Washington Post sports reporter
With Rising Credibility, Patch's Local Reporting Noticed By A POTUS And A FLOTUS
A Few Words On Team Culture
Dennis 'restored my faith in newsrooms'
"You gave me the ability to grow as a writer, editor and strategist. You also restored my faith in newsrooms and in workplaces that are vibrant and healthy and are just good places to work."
Erika Hobbs, Editorial Director at Growing Community Media
former Newsweek senior editor, former Patch local editor, former Center for Public Integrity reporter
Neighborhood Heroes
Improved local coverage and credibility helped Patch secure a financial partnership with Ring, maker of smart doorbells, home security cameras, and alarm systems.
Ring not only sponsored expanded community-focused coverage of people who do great things in town, the company's ad dollars helped Patch fund news experiments and new local markets.
Celebrate Good Work & Good People
Starting in the Fall of 2019, we would virtually gather via Zoom Standup for 15 minutes every Friday afternoon to celebrate our people and big wins — and foster a supportive team culture of recognition and healthy connection. (One December, I played the part of Patch Santa! 🧑🎄) Here are a few of those wins.
Dennis 'makes sure you learned your lesson'
"Dennis is one of the most thoughtful and level-headed managers I've ever encountered. He has a certain method of managing that makes you feel at ease — but also makes sure you learned your lesson, especially if you make a mistake. He will always fight for you if he believes in you — as he did with me. I don't think I could have succeeded at Patch without him."
Tom Davis, Editor of Best’s Review,
former New Jersey Senior Regional Manager at Patch
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