VandeHei's vision: Niche journalism

Oshkosh boy made good was in Madison this week to talk about his new venture.

I think his vision of niche Web sites replacing general interest newspapers makes sense on a national level, but I don't know how it applies locally.

In some ways what he is saying is consistent with Gannett's strategy, as we see the general interest product, the daily newspaper, shrink while reporters and editors work on magazines, videos and other vehicles.

But I'm not convinced that this is a viable long-term strategy or that it is healthy for the community. The value of Gannett's niche products is highly dependent on the value of the general interest product, its ability to hold the general interest.

In other words, I think this is a phase that will be overtaken, although I wouldn't venture a guess as to when.

The fact is that Washington is one of the richest communities in the world with an intense interest in news and information. What works there may or may not work elsewhere.