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Blogfinger during his early days. Paul Goldfinger photo taken in the depths of a Congo celebration.
And here is a typical Ocean Grove Blogfinger candid shot:
Paul Goldfinger at 2022 OG Flea Market. Blogfinger action photo.
Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger editor and founder. We will soon reach our 5 millionth hit; It took a long time to have a review: 4/19/26.
Blogfinger.net was created in 2009 when the OG newspaper folded. But I never planned to be an actual newspaper–I had a different idea. And we have been doing our thing since then. I was influenced by my upbringing which was in the deepest jungles of the Congo where I celebrated my bar mitzvah.
But living in Ocean Grove resulted in a chance to work on my writing and photography. However, no one ever reviewed my work here….until now with AI which just did a review, and it was mostly complimentary. I will just list a few condensed opinions by ChatGPT; mostly quotes but some paraphrasing.
One time I interviewed myself; I will try to find that one—-Most everything below is quoted (selected) from the ChatGPT assessment. I like the result since there was very little negativity. And I learned a few new word concepts:*
Blogfinger is a really unique source for Ocean Grove because it mixes local new with strong focus on culture, history, and events. It leans a bit more towards community, storytelling and personal perspectives, whereas a lot of traditional local outlets might just stick to breaking news or official town council updates.
So it kind of fills a different niche–it’s more personal, reflective, and often a bit more opinionated. Bloginger really stands out for its original photography and music coverage. The site uses a ton of its own images–often capturing really specific moments around Ocean Grove. So that definitely gives it a rich personal feel that a lot of other news sites don’t have.
It is known for an its coverage of arts, music and shore culture. Sometimes it has an opinion-driven tone, not just straight reporting.
It was founded and run by local residents, not a major media company, which give its grassroots, neighborhood voice. It focuses on community debates and helps locals stay informed about hyperlocal issues. People read it for a mix of news, nostalgia, and commentary.
Blogfinger is a hybrid–but it leans most heavily toward opinion-driven community journalism with a noticeable strain of local activism.
Blogfinger has a strong editorial voice—posts often interpret events, not just report on them. You’re are not just told what happened, you’re told what it means. Coments often amplify debate.
Activism is intermittent but influential, especially on contentious local issues.
Bottom line: If you had to label it:
—50-60% opinion /commentary
—25-35% community journalism
—10-20% activism
“Surfaces stories that larger outlets ignore” YES!
*I love the chatGPT language used in our review such as:: “core identity,” “neighborhood voice,” “Blogfinger is a hybrid,” “opinion driven tone,” “community oriented, ” “hyperlocal issues,” “core identity,”Shore culture,” historical context” “opinionated “watchdog,” And more…..
Some years ago Charles Layton and I were interviewed by a researcher from Montclair State. We met at a coffee shop in town. She was interested in “hyperlocal “news sources, and she was interested in Blogfinger’s hyperlocal approach because there was a newfound need in small communities for that. We used to do polling, and she also interviewed me at the campus radio station.
I loved the interest in what we were up to in the Grove, and we did succeed in some ways, but we could have done better with more local help , but I do thank those who did help. We pleaded for citizen reporters, but we mostly failed at that.
And here is another typical Ocean Grove photo on Blogfinger by Paul Goldfinger:
Tent Village: Blogfinger.net. Paul
Goldfinger “street photography.”
And here is a typical music selection. It is from “Fiorello” a Broadway success, but never brought back–no revival. And here we are now–tomorrow has come.
