Without any really large story online --- yet --- there are several headlines worth discussing:

1. Facebook is going to launch location-based service soon. Loopt is also going to upgrade its location-based offerings to permit multitasking and location updating.The implications are significant for news organizations aiming to use Facebook for crowdsourcing and storytelling.
2. Apple has issued its new operating system for the iPhone, tailored for the iPhone4 but still applicable to iPhone3.
3. Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post and CNN writes on how non-profit organizations are filling some of the gaps left when newsrooms de-emphasize investigative work.
4. The New York Times announced former editor and publisher Arthur Brisbane as its new public editor. He succeeds Clark Hoyt. The implications of his appointment: As goes the Times in identifying standards for the craft, so can go the craft.

The Old Media New Tricks site offers three tips for news organizations looking to enter the location-based social media sphere. They're basic, smart and compelling.

1. Create multimedia tours with a raft of local landmarks and must-do things.
2. Post links to reviews on location pages.
3. Participate in sales initiatives on location-based sites.

As location-based media develops in the months ahead, news organizations will need to examine how --- and not if --- they participate.