Is this the future of local news?

What makes Crosscut, a Seattle-based startup, worth watching is its emphasis on local journalism.

The “About Us” spells out a hyper-local manifesto:

“Crosscut is a guide to local and Northwest news, a place to report and discuss local news, and a platform for new tools to convey local news. The journalism of regular citizens appears alongside that of professionals. News coverage with detachment, traditionally practiced by mainstream media outlets, coexists with advocacy journalism and opinion.”

While Crosscut uses reporting from contract writers and freelancers, much of its content consists of links to and commentaries on stories in the Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer.

A FAQ shrewdly anticipates the critics:

“Aren't you just leeching off existing media by writing about and linking to their stories?

“We send those other news sites readers they otherwise might not have. We encourage them and promote them by highlighting their best journalism. The Web is a new kind of information ecology of sharing and partnering. Though they practice important journalism, self-contained, full-service news outlets no longer rule.”

I think that answer nails it. Traditional media – especially newspapers – “no longer rule” because sites like this undermine their last line of defense: their franchise on local news.

How can newspapers respond to this latest competitor for the advertising dollars?

Certainly not by charging for stories online. That would open the door wider for outfits like this to provide more local news.

Would their stories be as good? Perhaps not, but they would be free.

And as Craigslist proves, you can’t beat free.