TheDigitel

TheDigitel is an alternative press product published online in Charleston, South Carolina, Beaufort, South Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The company seeks to ease readers' lives by reducing information overload by focusing on connecting readers to information first, and reporting information second. The idea is to connect the content seeker with the appropriate content producer, creating a win-win for both parties. Efforts are made to source content indiscriminately to put the focus on speech over speaker.
The product differs drastically from other major media players because of a focus on information linkage over proprietary reporting.
TheDigitel also offers a collaborative reporting environment know as the Open Community through which readers can publish their own reports or collaborate with editors on stories.
About the company and product
TheDigitel covers local news, politics, places, events, and happenings in the Charleston area. Its main target audience is young professionals and college students. TheDigitel is free to readers and financed through advertising.
The name is a blending of the words "Digital" and "Telegraph" to form "TheDigitel." The words were used as both the telegraph and digital technology have revolutionized communication. Also, "telegraph" has long been a term used in the newspaper industry in relation to wire stories because of the method in which they used to be received.
Expansion
TheDigitel sites were founded in Charleston in 2008, Beaufort in 2010, and Myrtle Beach in 2011.
How it works
TheDigitel primarily runs on paid editors, who write short summary articles on things happening in and around Charleston, then provide readers with links to other relevant content found online, including Web sites, news articles, press releases, or any other content deemed relevant to the story in question. Readers add to the dialog and stories by creating comments, suggesting stories, or even writing their own stories.
History
TheDigitel was founded by Christopher Giganti and Kenneth Hawkins in 2008 in response to their disappointment with other local news sites (both in the local market and everywhere). The creators' goal for TheDigitel was to develop a better way to distribute local information, focusing on three things: First, all local news coverage. Second, a site design that is easy to navigate and attractive, something the creators felt was not being accomplished with local media outlets' Web sites. Third, comprehensive coverage, referencing and linking to a multitude of media outlets and other sources, rather than any one in particular, in order to give readers a broader perspective.
Much of the inspiration for TheDigitel's design came from Information Architects' theoretical redesign of The Washington Post Web site as a wiki, as well as a blending of the benefits of the blog format, traditional news design, and Web 2.0 principles.
Both Giganti and Hawkins worked in the newspaper industry for several years prior to starting TheDigitel. Giganti was a copy editor and page designer at The Post and Courier in Charleston, SC, and Hawkins was a graphic designer at The Post and Courier when they began forming the idea for TheDigitel. Over the course of several months in late 2007 and early 2008, the two developed the design for TheDigitel. They both left The Post and Courier in May 2008 to begin working on TheDigitel full time. They employed another former Post and Courier employee Geoff Marshall at their multi-media editor, to concentrate on working on video for the site.
TheDigitel launched in beta mode in late May 2008 and had its official, full launch on June 16, 2008.
It 'announced' itself to Charleston on January 29, 2009 by having a launch party ('The Digitel Debutante Ball'), and then took another step forward my moving into permanent offices at 125 Cannon Street, Charleston on the 15th February a few weeks later.
By associating itself and providing coverage for local events in Charleston (such as Fashion Week, International Film Festival and Spoleto) TheDigitel's profile slowly raised and traffic has built slowly but consistently to the site.
Technical information
TheDigitel was created using the Drupal content-management framework, taking advantage of the open-source system to build a flexible, efficient, and straightforward infrastructure and design.

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