I was intrigued with our discussion about tactical distinctions between startups, notably the Southwest Airlines case. Having been rather surprised at the supposed “low barrier to entry” in the airline market (the ability to rent planes, terminals, etc.) I began thinking a bit more about Southwest’s unique approach to market share: targeting price-sensitive customers through secondary and midsize airports in so-called “regional cities.”
What if a “content company” were to do the same thing? Avoid the big cities that are saturated with food blogs and news blogs and celebrity blogs and political blogs, and go for the midsize markets — the Ashevilles and the Pittsburghs of the world. Let Patch and the other hyperlocal startups have their bedroom communities in the suburbs and make a major play for the cities out there that have a big identity and passionate, engaged residents that crave news created for and about them — a fresh, interactive alternative to the small daily newspapers. These small cities live in the shadows of their behemoth neighbors, but are brimming with activity and headlines that have yet to be written.
StartupMedia 
My older brother and I actually discuss this often: all the “cool” stuff happening in mid-sized American cities that isn’t getting the coverage it deserves. While the opportunities to create quality news and engage the community in these cities is evident, I think it has a lot to do with the lack of “glamor” involved, even though a lot of journalists won’t admit this. The barriers to entry are relatively low, so why aren’t more journalists seizing the opportunity?