Building a new media platform for local storytelling and civic engagement in ethnically diverse neighborhoods.

The article presents an initiative to develop a hyper-local news websiteto promote civic engagement in Los Angeles County, California. A multi-method research was conducted to identify gaps and opportunities in the storytelling network which comprised of residents, local media and community organizations. The findings suggest that a web-based local storytelling platform acts as a promising mechanism for facilitating engagement and inter-group interaction. The results implies the development of communication interventions to grow civic engagementin other diverse neighborhoods.