Patch Expands to 3 More States, Adds Military Site

The Patch.com news network continues to grow, this week announcing 33 new sites in three states, and its first military site, Camp Pendleton Patch.

The hyperlocal news arm of AOL Huffington Post Media Group will soon add sites in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina to the more than 800 hyperlocal sites in 18 states in the Patch network. The additions are by design: the states will hold key early primaries in the 2012 presidential election. 


“Since our launch in 2009, Patch’s mission has been to offer the most trusted local news and information via our platform, our team of professional journalists in each town, and active participation in the communities we serve,” Warren Webster, President of Patch Media, said. “These new sites perfectly align with that mission. Primary state Patches will empower citizens to consume and share election information in some of the most politically engaged areas of the country."

The Camp Pendleton Patch, which is not sponsored by the base or the U.S. military, will cover both the base and neighboring Oceanside, Calif. Editor Jared Morgan is a former Marine and a current member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

"Patch Military is a particularly satisfying new offering, in keeping with our efforts to ensure that America’s military families have the support they have earned," said Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group. "The average military family moves every 2.9 years, so it’s vital that they have a way to easily keep up with what is going on in their communities and have a platform for directly sharing news and information with their neighbors.”


And later this year, Patch plans to launch three sites as part of its recently-announced Patch Latino initiative. The sites will reflect the traditional Patch model of local news, community and information and also offer dedicated coverage of topics of special interest to the Latino population. All editorial content on the sites will be in Spanish.