Special thanks to Joan Stewart’s “The Publicity Hound” e-newsletter for bringing Patch.com to my attention.

Patch is a community-specific news and information platform that covers more than 600 communities and neighborhoods in the United States. And it is still growing.

Headquartered in New York City, Patch is run by professional editors, writers, photographers and videographers who live in or near the communities it serves.

The website’s map makes it easy to find out whether your community is covered. If so, or if you are pitching a story for a client in another community covered by Patch, you simply e-mail your news tip, calendar event or announcement to the appropriate contact. You also can participate in discussions.

When making a pitch it’s important to keep in mind that Patch focuses exclusively on local news and events.

Joan invites readers that have gotten news placed on Patch to share their experiences at her blog.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.