Hyperlocal news websites like AOL's Patch network may not be so local after AOL's acquisition of The Huffington Post, according to a writer for Street Fight, an online source for news and information about the "business of hyperlocal."

Rick Robinson suggests Patch's network of programming "has turned toward the model followed by The Huffington Post and various (successful) content 'farms' that draw readers in with off-topic sex appeal then deliver them off-site — thanks for the clicks and ad views!" Robinson reported that one local Patch editor that he interviewed, but did not identify, acknowledged that the emphasis on local news and advertising has shifted and they "are taking national ads now."

Despite news that AOL, which operates the Patch network, committed to recruit 8,000 bloggers and hire 800 journalists to ween itself off of freelancers, the concept and practice of hyperlocal journalism has been taking a hit lately.

Writing for Business Insider, Nicholas Carlson questioned whether Patch's future is all that rosy, and said that for it to be successful it has to "prove that local, geographically-pinpointed traffic is more valuable than national, broad-based traffic — by several multiples."

Slate's Jack Shafer also questioned Patch's future, arguing its local journalism was lacking and he suspects that "Patch users aren't the customers, they're the product." Meanwhile, Lauren Kirchner reported in March for the Columbia Journalism Review that even the term hyperlocal was becoming outdated and regarded with disdain by online news sites that focus on local news.

When Gannett laid off 700 workers in June it had a ripple effect, resulting in the closure of the hyperlocal site InJersey, Poynter reported. Similarly, hyperlocal news site TBD.com announced its demise earlier this year, as it was shifting from local politics and news to entertainment and lifestyle features.

However, Ted Mann, who launched InJersey, argued in his last post for the website that hyperlocal journalism is still viable: "We have made the difficult decision to suspend publishing our community blogs, knowing full well that the larger hyperlocal movement that we belonged to is as vibrant and innovative as ever."