OUR CHALLENGE: The ArkLaTex has a population of more than 1 million people, and the geographic area it covers is vast. Like Texarkana, USA itself, our region is unique in many ways. In addition, our demographic and economic research showed our local communities in the Four States area were far more socially and economically integrated than we originally realized. This exciting discovery led to a critical question: How do we effectively cover a region as large and diverse as the ArkLaTex?
REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY: To cover the ArkLaTex fairly and evenly, we decided to create local "hubs" to distribute news. This would allow us to produce "hyperlocal" or "very local" news for the important communities of our region, such as Texarkana. The goal was to offer a network of ArkLaTex news websites that moved across city and state boundaries to reach the entire region. An added benefit is that our effort could spur economic growth as more ArkLaTex citizens become educated about Texarkana and what it has to offer.
TEXAS AND ARKANSAS MATTER: Above all else, we wanted to be sure we effectively reported on Texarkana, Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas. This gave us one more challenge: Because our region includes four states, we needed a way to cover state issues unique to Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas while still retaining our original vision of incorporating the broader ArkLaTex region.
TEXARKANA NEWS AND THE WAY FORWARD: Our mission is simple: We want to provide relevant, interesting news and information for the citizens of Texarkana, Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas. We also want people in other areas of the ArkLaTex (and beyond) to learn more about Texarkana, USA and this wonderful region we all call home - while doing our part to promote local commerce, add jobs and expand opportunities.
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