AOL's DigitalCity goes after Gawker crowd

Is this a local news site or a celebrity gossip blog? I can't quite tell.

(Credit: AOL)

Maybe it's just because it's Monday morning and I've had only one cup of coffee, but I'm not quite comprehending DigitalCity.com, the latest in a parade of bloggy new sites from AOL.

A press release describes Digital City, which gets its name from a very vintage AOL brand, as "a new approach to geo-blogging by showcasing original content with a local slant, but global appeal." In other words, it's stuff about nightclubs in Vegas, concerts in Portland, and New York vs. Boston rivalries that are written so that you don't have to actually live in one of those cities to get what's going on. I suppose it's supposed to be in contrast to the insidery SFist or New York magazine--more like Gawker, which is New York-centric but pulls in traffic from around the world.

Unfortunately, it's disjointed, and that's something that advertisers, in addition to readers, will likely note. A post about great grilled cheese restaurants (one in Colorado, one in L.A.) precedes one about John McCain's ties to the gambling industry and then one about Segways. And the most recent post right now informs us all that it's Zachary Levi's birthday. We all heart Zachary Levi (he's the title character on sitcom Chuck, not Bristol Palin's fianc?, FYI--that's Levi Johnston), but this blog still doesn't exactly have a clear vision.

AOL can back it up with a ton of non-blog content, like its city directory and local news sites, but I can't really see how that would fit into DigitalCity.

Oh, well. Better luck next time, AOL.

[svk1069]

I don't get the site either. It really doesn't seem to have much focus.

As a resident of Phoenix (versus NY or LA), it holds no appeal for me what-so-ever.

[Fletch_Digital-City]

Thanks for the review, Caroline.

Even though you missed the point -- we're not seeking the Gawker crowd, we're not a celebrity gossip site, we do have a focus -- it feels good to see that our brand new site matters enough for CNET News to review.

As your blog post points out, our focus is on local entertainment news and lifestyle which, while we realize is a broad area of interest, is more focused than let's say a Manhattan-centric media site covering Palin in a swimsuit or celebrity D.U.I. busts in Los Angeles. Save for the occasional op/ed piece, our coverage of Palin is in the context of the growing popularity of debate watching parties and where one might be able to watch the VP debate in public, while having a beer.

If the initial metrics in our short existence is any indication of the desire for this content, then I'd say we're on the right path. I'm excited to see where this goes as we grow the site and network and I'll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Thanks again. I appreciate your comments.

Cheers,
Fletch
Digital City
http://www.digitalcity.com/

[benjaminstraight]

Don't understand

[livecrunch]

How can Digital City go after Gawker crowd they don't even have 100.000 visitors per month. That's like me saying going after Cnet or News.com lol

yep me so livecruchy ;)