TBD (website)
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Owner | Allbritton Communications |
| Editor | Erik Wemple |
| Slogan(s) | "All Over Washington" |
| Website | www |
| Launched | August 9, 2010 |
| Current status | Defunct |
TBD.com was a hyperlocal news site focused on the Washington D.C. area. Launching on August 9, 2010, it was owned by the Arlington-based Allbritton Communications as a locally-focused companion to its other media properties in Washington, including Politico and WJLA-TV. The site combined original reporting with that of independent blogs and contributions from WJLA's reporters and staff. Despite having growing readership, TBD suffered from poor profitability, which led to a series of staff cuts and a shift in focus after only 6 months in operation. TBD.com was shut down entirely in August 2012.
I think we’re trying to figure out how to have a mix of stuff produced by professionals and make sure you’re keeping an eye on all the great stuff that’s being produced by citizens in the area. And you put all those together to create a news report that is different from what you’re seeing so far.
Plans for the site were first announced in October 2009. The site was intended to serve as the broadcaster's main news site for Washington D.C. area news, replacing the existing websites for WJLA-TV and its sister cable channel NewsChannel 8. The official name of the new site, TBD.com, was unveiled on April 22, 2010. Site editor Erik Wemple had already used the name TBD in staff e-mails prior to the announcement, in this case alluding to the phrase "To be determined", but felt that the name would also fit the site's goal.
TBD.com would use a non-traditional approach to local news inspired by its sister website Politico; Jim Brady stated that its format would "combine what makes the Web interesting and what makes TV such an effective medium." The site started with around 50 staff members, including about 20 reporters and seven members of a community engagement team, and would highlight major, area-wide news and micro, neighborhood-level information. It would feature real-time reporting on stories, featuring content curated from independent blogs, along with original reporting from the site's staff and contributions from WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 reporters.
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