Next Door Media is a network of ten trusted neighborhood news sites in the North Seattle area, the first of its kind in the country and the most-trafficked in the city.

Founded in Ballard in early 2008 by two longtime journalists, Kate and Cory Bergman, Next Door Media is committed to creating a community-powered approach to local journalism while providing sustainable value for advertisers.

Unlike many blogs, Next Door Media’s sites are authored by experienced journalists who produce original, objective news coverage. Next Door Media’s MyBallard.com won a 2009 Online Journalism Award for community collaboration, beating the LA Times and Miami Herald for the award. And PhinneyWood.com won the national Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for deadline reporting.

The Next Door Media network generates 1.3 million page views a month with dozens of advertisers in many of Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods. Through a partnership with WestSeattleBlog.com, advertisers have access to 2 million page views a month — the largest neighborhood network of its kind. To learn more about advertising, click here.

Kate Bergman, CEO and co-founder

Kate Bergman registered the domain MyBallard.com in 2007, launching Next Door Media’s first foray into neighborhood blogging. Kate was the coordinating producer of KING 5 Morning News, and earlier, assignment manager of Northwest Cable News. She also worked at Evening Magazine, the most successful local magazine show in the country. In 2006, Kate founded SeattleChic.com, a hyperlocal shopping and bargains site.

In 2009, she was named one of the “top 100 women in Seattle tech” by TechFlash.com.

Doug Alder, editor

Doug Alder has almost two decades worth of experience in journalism and communications. After working as a television news producer in several markets across the Southeast, he was hired by KING 5 in 2000. During his eight years at KING, he served as Executive News Producer and won three Emmy awards for breaking news and a news special on the arrest of the Green River Killer.

In 2008, Alder became the first ever Communications Manager for the City of Newcastle, Washington. Part of his outreach to the community involved editing a popular news website that was one of the first city-run blogs in the nation. His social media efforts earned him the Municipal Excellence Award from the Association of Washington Cities.

Cory Bergman, co-founder

Cory is the director of new product development at msnbc.com, and earlier he headed up KING5.com and NWCN.com, where his team won two national journalism awards. (Next Door Media is not affiliated with msnbc.com.) He also founded LostRemote.com, one of the first blogs on the web.

Click for contact information for Next Door Media and its neighborhood sites.