A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups.

Don’t Shoot The Messenger Over User Content, Courts Confirm (PaidContent)
People are lining up to sue sites like Yelp and Ripoff Report over their users’ misbehavior, but courts continue to slam the door in their face. A new report shows the sites’ traditional legal shield is still strong, but that some are trying to use intellectual property laws to crack it.

Highlight: A Socially Acceptable Way to Stalk People Around You (Business Insider)
Paul Davison built an iPhone app that knows if people in your social circle are near you. Highlight allows you to see photos of people around you and see who you know in common — before you even talk to them.

Jumptap, PlaceIQ Team to Boost M-Commerce (Mediapost)
As retailers increasingly embrace mobile to boost foot traffic and drive m-commerce, mobile advertising is expanding as well. To capitalize on that trend, mobile ad network Jumptap has partnered with hyperlocal data provider PlaceIQ and appointed a director of retail to oversee ad efforts in the category. Through the alliance with PlaceIQ, Jumptap says it will allow advertisers to reach the precise areas most likely to contain members of their target audience.

Cartera: Local SMBs ‘Key’ to Growth of Loyalty Programs (LocalOnliner)
Peter Krasilovsky: Local businesses don’t have their own loyalty programs but can now benefit from tapping into bank programs. “Local is the key to our strategy,” says Jim Douglass, EVP at Cartera, a company which manages loyalty programs for many top banks and credit card companies. Douglass sees five million SMBs potentially seeking to extend their customer relationship via various bank loyalty programs.

Online Ads are the Most Frequently Pitched Ads on Main Street (Radio Info)
In 2011, newspaper was the No. 1 medium in local ad sales, but online was the largest overall ad category by far ($59.1 billion). In 2012, will the winner in local ad sales be online? The latest data from Borrell and Associates suggests that it could be, especially because online advertising is now the most frequently pitched type of advertising across the USA.

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