Silicon Alley Insider: Here Comes The AOL Blog Rollup (TWX)

"Despite the [recent acquisition of Patch Media and Going Inc], AOL has mostly grown its publishing business organically, rapidly launching and ramping up sites like Politics Daily and Daily Finance in a matter of a few months. (The company is now regularly hiring high-end journalists, such as its recent hire of ex-Portfolio.com media writer Jeff Bercovici for Daily Finance.) Meanwhile, TMZ, its home-brewed entertainment news site, has been a hit, too, recently breaking the news (and leading coverage) of Michael Jackson's death."

Patch: About Us

"Polar Capital Group, Tim Armstrong's private investment company, is an investor in Patch. Polar invested in Patch because Tim believes that Patch should be in every community in America, and wants Patch in his town. He wants to read local news stories done by journalists, make sure that local government is transparent and accountable, see all the ways he can give back to his community, and have his town be as interesting and alive online as it is offline."

Joshua Mack’s DefinitiveInk: Patch Media launches 3 hyperlocal sites in NJ and no one in NYC notices

"Patch looks good. It has a navigable interface, original reporting from an editor and contributors, reblogged news (don't love the way they are linking back), restaurant listings, town info for services, a place for organizations to post opportunities, etc. It is a bit of americantowns, metroblogs, outside.in, and topix rolled up." (via Peter Kirwan)