VIDEO: We're Ankeny Patch and Happy to Meet You

Two months ago, I had no idea what Patch was.

After I learned about this opportunity, I did a little – OK, a lot – of research on Patch.com. What I found intrigued and excited me, and that made it extremely easy to sign the offer letter confirming my new position as local editor for Ankeny Patch.

So what exactly is Ankeny Patch? It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot the past few weeks while out and about in the community introducing myself and meeting new people.

First, Ankeny Patch is the community’s newest source for local news and information. And it's completely online.

What kind of news will we be covering? You will see us at Ankeny City Council and school board meetings as well as at community celebrations such as SummerFest. You will see us at school events, such as band concerts, proms and graduations, and in the classroom highlighting student achievement. We might pop in to take photos of craft time at . We’ll be on the scene of breaking news.

Got an idea for something you want to see covered? We could be there, too. And the best part of Ankeny Patch? You won’t have to wait for days to see it on our site. We're an online publication open seven days a week and posting stories and information regularly.

What else is Ankeny Patch? Well, it’s simple – it will be whatever you make of it. Although we’re going to cover as much as we can, the site will reflect you and your interests.

We encourage you to become a part of Ankeny Patch and make the site your own. There are many ways you can do that:

• Sign up for an account to leave comments on stories.
• Add events to the community calendar.
• Submit an announcement about yourself or a friend or family member.
• Sign up for the newsletter, to get the latest from Patch delivered to your inbox every day.
• Rate businesses in the directory.
• Start a blog on the site and share your knowledge or passion.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest information.

If there is something else you want to share or contribute – or maybe just want to chat about – give me a call at 515-708-3599 or email me at megan.verhelst@patch.com.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in my career, the best journalism comes from those who are passionate about what they do (me) and from an informed, engaged community (you).

So what exactly is Ankeny Patch? I can’t wait for us to figure it out together.