New Oil Patch news website launched

FARGO — Forum Communications Co. Monday unveiled thepatchto

day.com, the multimedia company’s newest information website in its collection of sites that serve the Upper Midwest and beyond.

Thepatchtoday.com, which can be found at the Internet address of the same name, will serve as a general news website to the geographic area in western North Dakota and Eastern Montana that is collectively known as “The Oil Patch,” or “The Patch” for short. The site also aims to keep the residents of that quickly growing section of the country informed about local and state news, features, sports and entertainment. And finally, the site will delve deeply into reporting regarding the burgeoning oil industry that is centered in the region, thanks to new technology that has made tapping into the Bakken oil formation possible, company executives said.

“Western North Dakota and Eastern Montana deserve a news presence that caters to the growing information needs of the longtime residents of ‘The Patch,’ in addition to the needs of newcomers who have pursued work in the region,” said Lloyd Case, CEO of Forum Communi-cations Co. “Thanks to our immense reporting re-sources, Forum Communi-cations Co. is uniquely situated to cover the story of the growth of ‘The Patch,’ as well as the stories of the people, old and new alike, who make their home in ‘The Patch.’”

Thepatchtoday.com is a full-service digital news site that aggregates the vast reporting resources that Forum Communica-tions Co. has in four states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Content on the site, including breaking news, sports, features and award-winning photography and videos, is updated daily. And the website is fully integrated with Forum Communication Co’s classified, jobs and display advertising network. Additionally, the site highlights the work of FCC’s reporters Teri Finneman and Amy Dal-rymple who cover the stories that matter to western North Dakota, Finneman focusing on state government and its intersection with life in The Patch and Dalrymple who is based out of Willis-ton, N.D., and covers breaking news and daily features in The Patch.

Thepatchtoday.com is being launched in conjunction with several other Forum Communications Co. efforts that also will focus on western North Dakota, including a monthly printed publication known as The Drill, which will be circulated in communities in that region, and a new company news wire service that bolsters the resources dedicated to covering the region’s growth.

“Residents of western North Dakota will see an increased Forum Commu-nications Co. presence in their lives as we ramp up our efforts to meet the information needs of the many calling ‘The Patch’ home,” said Paul Amundson, vice president of Forum Communication Co.’s Interactive Media Group. “There’s an important story taking place in the region and we plan to be there to cover the news as it happens and also to help explain what it means.”

Steve McLister, FCC’s vice president for newspapers, added that thepatchtoday.com, The Drill and the company’s new wire service not only will provide Patch residents with vital information, but these new efforts also will give Patch businesses new avenues to reach their customers, whether locally or beyond on the company’s network of websites, which draws more than 2 million users per month.“These new publications will give businesses in The Patch unprecedented avenues to reach their customers,” McLister said. “And Forum Communication Co. is proud to offer new ways to partner with local businesses to attract new and loyal customers.”

For more information about thepatchtoday.com, contact site editor Devlyn Brooks at devlyn.brooks@fccinteractive.com or 701.241.5545. For advertising inquiries, contact FCC Digital Sales Director Chris Dorsey at cdorsey@forumcomm.com or 701-451-5740.

The Jamestown Sun

is owned by Forum

Communications Co.

Tags: news, media, oil, energy