I strongly believe it will be upstarts, new players, that build the successful news products of the future. Lean, nimble and creative, they'll be able to pull together all the ingredients listed above and come up with a replacement for the traditional newspaper that's far more interesting, interactive and richer in just about every way.

The early indications are extremely positive, but like any newly emerging business model, it’s impossible to know how it will scale. There’s an element of risk, and that’s why most local media companies have remained on the sidelines.

As news organizations ponder their declining revenues and make their layoff lists, journalists are left to wonder what they ought to do with their careers.

Want to vent? Make a community connection? Or even, dare we say it, make a difference? Neighborhood blogs -- an ever-evolving mix of journaling and journalism -- are an increasingly popular forum for helpful, often constructive discussions of the uber-local sort.