SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 31, 2000 ã | KnightRidder.com, creator
of Real Cities (www.realcities.com), the premiere network of city
and regional Web sites that consumers turn to for all things local,
announced the development of a special online resource at
http://GOP2000.philly.com devoted to the Republican National
Convention being held in Philadelphia.
Spearheaded by Real Cities' Philly.com, the hometown site of
Philadelphia and the convention, Real Cities coverage will feature
live chats with party officials and candidates, live streaming video
from inside the First Union Center and continuously updated
news generated by more than 100 top Knight Ridder journalists
from across the nation. A special strike force of reporters and
photographers from leading newspapers Philadelphia Inquirer and
Philadelphia Daily News is covering both the convention's political
news as well as local angles. Convention news and activity are
available nationwide from every Real Cities site.
"We've been the insider's resource for all things Philly; it makes
perfect sense for us to combine the best of our political reporting
from Knight Ridder awardãwinning journalists and marry that with
our interactive functionality and online services," said Lisa
Romano, KnightRidder.com vice president of marketing and
business development. "The result is a one-stop source and a
wealth of up-to-the-minute information for all Web users and those
who are interested in the convention but can't be there in person.
We want consumers to know where to turn for credible
information and we're delivering all the excitement network-wide in
each of our local cities - including a special focus on state
delegations and issues."
Each Real Cities site (Miami.com, BayArea.com, DFW.com,
KansasCity.com, TwinCities.com, Charlotte.com, etc.) will have a
convention icon on its front page linked to the content generated
in Philadelphia that is localized for each city and region.
Real Cities editors and news producers will be stationed in
Internet Alley, a special tented area in a media pavilion outside
the First Union Center. Live, streaming video for Real Cities'
coverage is being provided by pseudopolitics.com. Interactive
chats with candidates and party officials are being coordinated by
Philly.com, but are being promoted on all Real Cities sites and
will be linked to those sites on the days they occur.
Philly.com provides local in-depth coverage of the convention at:
http://GOP2000.Philly.com. Real Cities coverage is available
either at www.realcities.com or at the individual city sites in the
network. Consumers can look forward to similar comprehensive
coverage of the Democratic convention anchored by
BayArea.com (www.bayarea.com) coming soon in August.
About KnightRidder.com, Real Cities and Philly.com:
KnightRidder.com, a leader in interactive information, is
headquartered in San Jose, California, the heart of Silicon Valley.
KnightRidder.com operates and manages the national Web
network of 36 local cities and regions, RealCities.com. Real
Cities is the premier network of city and regional Web sites that
empower consumers with information and tools to organize life's
daily activities. Real Cities helps consumers connect with and
maximize their cities' resources by providing ways to stay
informed, save time and live fuller and more entertaining lives. The
network offers a variety of online services covering news, sports,
classified ads, entertainment, shopping, travel, health, sports,
career channels, search, community publishing, events,
interviews and commentary, Internet access, and archives.
Philly.com is the premier online resource for Philadelphia, the
surrounding five counties and South Jersey. Philly.com includes
the area's leading local newspapers, Philadelphia Inquirer and
Philadelphia Daily News. Real Cities partners include Belo
Corporation, Central Newspapers, E.W. Scripps and
Macromedia, Inc. Among its member Web sites are:
BayArea.com, DFW.com, Indy.com, KansasCity.com,
Kentucky.com, Miami.com, Philly.com, Ohio.com,
PhoenixAZ.com, Charlotte.com, TwinCities.com and soon-to-be
debuted, NorthJersey.com. KnightRidder.com develops and
manages the Internet properties of Knight Ridder (NYSE:KRI), the
nation's second largest newspaper publisher.
Press contacts:
Cynthia Mallen Funnell
Real Cities
408-938-6076
cfunnell@realcities.com
Maya Esparza
PRx Inc. Real Cities
408-287-1700, ext. 120
maya_esparza@prxinc.com