Quote:
SAN FRANCISCO -- Patch, AOL's effort to own America's local news, said it has grown to 100 sites in 20 states, up from six sites since the company bought the fledgling news startup in June 2009. AOL also said it hopes to be in 500 communities by year's end, and will hire 500 more journalists for Patch. That would likely make it the biggest hirer in the decimated industry in some years.
Patch offers local news and information in communities of 15,000 to 70,000 people, which AOL figures could have a local online advertising business worth a total of $20 billion. Each site covers a specific community, and is staffed by one paid journalist, who runs an average of 11 paid freelancers reporting on local stalwarts like city government, police and fire department actions, schools and local sports. There is also user-generated content, much like letters to the editor in traditional papers. Stories are about 350 words each (about the amount to the fourth paragraph of this story).
[
Forbes.com]
"hopes...could have...figures. ..." etc.