Pros
Great growth opportunities launching a hyperlocal community news site. Got to take ownership of a news site, and do everything from how to analyzie site traffic, hire and manage freelancers, and experiement with content creation and content strategy. Awesome to experience the evolution and energy of being part of a startup. It provided a great jumping off point to become well-versed in digital media.
Cons
The corporate office tried to implement a cookie cutter approach to sites across the country, relying more on national data, and less on the local editors in the field, who often had a better sence of how their community would respond to certain initaitves, or how those initiatves could be reworked or repackaged. Combined with the long hours and 24/7 expectations, it bred contempt and led to burnout. The company tried to grow too quickly, and eventually went out of business.
