ETTG Guide
Everything you need to know about exploring your community with ETTG.
ETTG (Ear to the Ground) is a single place to discover what's actually happening in any city, county, or state in America — local news, government offices, events, community groups, public resources, and more. This guide walks through how the site is organized and how to find exactly what you're looking for.
Use the sidebar on the left (or the menu on mobile) to jump to any section.
Quick Start
Tip: The search bar at the top can find any state, county, or city — including by ZIP code, abbreviation, or "City, ST" format.
Open a Location Page
The fastest way is the search bar at the top — type a city, county, state, ZIP code, or state abbreviation and select from the instant results. You can also start from the Info tab in the navigation or the map on the Home page. Stop at whichever level (state, county, city) matches how local you want your view.
Navigate the Page
Use the tabs (or mobile dropdown) to move between sections on your current location page. To switch places quickly, use the search bar to jump to another state, county, or city.
Explore & Stay Informed
Once you're on the right location page, explore the full picture: local stories, trusted sources, community resources, government contacts, local spots, events, groups, and more for that area.
The "Info" Tab
Info is the primary way to browse ETTG geographically. Clicking Info in the top navigation takes you to the list of U.S. states. From there you drill down into counties, then cities — each level has its own dedicated page with tabs for news, sources, government, resources, events, and more.
Browse Manually
Start at Info → pick a state → pick a county → pick a city. Good for exploring a region you don't know well.
Jump Directly
Use the top search bar if you already know where you want to go. It accepts ZIPs, "City, ST", state abbreviations, and more.
Use the Home Map
The map on the Home page is interactive — click a state to jump to its page.
Breadcrumbs Back Up
From any location page, the breadcrumb trail lets you move back up to the county, state, or national view with one click.
Good to know: Every state, county, and city page shares the same tab layout, so once you learn one you know them all.
How ETTG is Organized
ETTG organizes information geographically, from the biggest area down to the smallest:
National Level
News and information that affects the entire United States
State Level
News and resources for your entire state (e.g., California, Texas)
County Level
Regional news for your county (some states call them parishes or boroughs)
City Level
The most local news and resources for your specific town or city
Tip: The news feed gets broader as you zoom out. City pages show city news. County pages show city and county news. State pages show city, county, and state news. National shows state and national news (we keep it focused so it doesn't get overwhelming).
What's in Each Tab
When you're viewing a location (city, county, or state), you'll see several tabs at the top. On mobile phones, these appear as a dropdown menu. Here's what each one contains:
News Feed
The latest news articles from sources covering your area. The first 50 articles from the past 30 days are shown, with the newest at the top. Click "Load More" to see additional articles. You can filter by topic category if the news source provided categories, and new articles appear automatically when they're published.
Sources
A directory of all newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and digital news outlets serving this area. Each listing includes the source's website, contact information, and details about their coverage.
Resources
Community resources like libraries, schools, hospitals, emergency services, utilities, and other public services available in your area.
Government
Local government offices and officials for your area - city council members, county commissioners, mayor's office, clerk's office, and other government departments with contact information.
Local Spots
Notable places in your community - parks, landmarks, gathering places, and points of interest that make your area unique.
Events
Upcoming community events, festivals, meetings, and gatherings happening in your area. Keep up with what's going on locally.
Groups
Community organizations, clubs, nonprofits, volunteer groups, and civic organizations active in your area. Great for getting involved locally.
About
Learn about your area with quick facts, demographics, history, and interesting details. Available on state and city pages, this tab gives you background and context about the place you're exploring.
Community Submissions & Corrections
ETTG's directory is built and maintained by the community. You can contribute in two ways:
- Add something new — If you know of a local spot, news source, group, government office, event, or resource that isn't listed yet, use the "Submit a ..." links at the bottom of each tab on any location page.
- Fix something wrong — If an existing listing has an outdated website, wrong phone number, or other inaccurate details, use the "Suggest an Edit" link on the listing itself to propose specific field-by-field corrections. To flag something broader about a page (missing context, misleading info, etc.), use the "Suggest a Correction" link found at the bottom of any location page.
Tips & Tricks
Search Bar — Everything It Can Do
The search bar at the top of every page is powered by Meilisearch and is far more capable than a basic location picker. Here's what you can throw at it:
ZIP Code → City
Type any 5-digit ZIP code (e.g. 59601) and the search will instantly resolve it to the matching city. Great when you know a ZIP but not the city name.
"City, ST" or "City StateName"
If you know the city and state, type them together — Helena MT, Helena Montana, or even Springfield IL. The search narrows results to just that state so you don't have to scroll past every other Springfield in the country.
State Abbreviations
Type a two-letter abbreviation like TX, CA, or DC to jump straight to that state (or district) page without typing the full name.
Typo Tolerance
Don't worry about perfect spelling. The search engine is forgiving — Alberquerque still finds Albuquerque, Cincinnatti still finds Cincinnati. Just get close.
Counties & States, Not Just Cities
Search returns cities, counties, and states all at once. Results are grouped so you can see all the matching levels and pick the one you want. Searching Travis surfaces Travis County, TX alongside any cities named Travis.
Instant Suggestions as You Type
Results appear after just one character, and the dropdown updates in real time as you keep typing. Use the ↑ ↓ arrow keys to move through suggestions and Enter to navigate directly — no mouse required.
Keyboard Shortcut
Press / from anywhere on the page to jump focus straight to the search bar — no scrolling to the top needed.
Filter Your News Feed
In the News Feed tab, you can filter articles by typing keywords in the search box, or click topic categories (when available) to see only articles about that subject.
Mobile Features
On mobile devices, you can pull down on the news feed to refresh and see new articles. County and city lists are collapsed by default - tap "View X counties" or "View X cities" to expand them. Tap anywhere outside an open menu to close it.
Install ETTG as an App
You can add ETTG to your phone's home screen for a full app-like experience — no app store required. It opens in its own window, loads fast, and works just like a native app.
iPhone / iPad (Safari)
- 1Open ETTG in Safari (required — Chrome and Firefox on iOS cannot install apps)
- 2Tap the Share button — the box with an arrow pointing up at the bottom of the screen
- 3Scroll down in the share sheet and tap Add to Home Screen
- 4Optionally rename it, then tap Add in the top-right corner
Android (Chrome)
- 1Open ETTG in Chrome
- 2Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner
- 3Tap Add to Home screen or Install app
- 4Tap Install or Add to confirm
Loading More Articles
The news feed initially shows 50 articles. Scroll to the bottom and click "Load More" to see additional articles 50 at a time. The article count at the top updates automatically as you load more.
Live Article Updates
When new articles are published while you're viewing the news feed, you'll see a notification banner at the top. Click it to instantly load the new articles without refreshing the page. The article count updates automatically.
Light & Dark Mode
ETTG supports both light and dark themes so you can choose whatever is most comfortable for you. Use the Theme toggle in the navigation bar to switch between Light and Dark mode at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ETTG free to use?
Yes! ETTG is completely free. Our goal is to help people connect with local news and their communities.
Where does the news come from?
We pull headlines from news sources' RSS feeds (a standard way publishers share their content). When you click an article, you go directly to the news source's website to read the full story.
Why don't I see categories on all articles?
Categories only appear when the news source provides them. ETTG doesn't editorialize or categorize news ourselves - we respect editorial independence. If you see categories, they came directly from the publisher.
Can I suggest something that's missing or fix incorrect information?
Yes — and we've made both easy. To add something new (a news source, local spot, community group, government office, event, or resource), use the "Submit a ..." links at the bottom of each relevant tab on any location page. To correct an existing listing (wrong website, outdated phone number, etc.), use the "Suggest an Edit" link directly on the listing. To flag a broader page issue (missing context, general inaccuracy), use the "Suggest a Correction" link at the bottom of any location page. Every submission and suggestion is reviewed before it goes live. For general feedback or questions, use the Contact page.
How does the submission review process work?
When you submit something, it enters a pending review queue. Our team checks that the place or organization is real, the information is accurate, and it's an appropriate fit for the directory. Approved listings go live automatically. We don't publish your email address or any personal information — your contact email is only used internally if we need to ask you a question about the specific submission. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
How do I navigate back to see bigger areas?
Use the breadcrumb trail at the top of the page. If you're viewing "Los Angeles," you can click "Los Angeles County" or "California" to zoom out to those larger areas.
What if my city doesn't have much information?
Smaller towns may not have city-specific news sources or resources yet. Try viewing your county or state level for broader regional news and information that still covers your area.
Does ETTG have an app?
ETTG is a website that works great on mobile browsers! You can add it to your phone's home screen for quick access just like an app.
Can I access ETTG data programmatically?
Yes! We offer a free public API for developers. You can query news sources, articles, community resources, events, and geographic data. No key is needed to get started.
How do I know what ETTG actually covers?
Check out our Impact & Coverage page for live stats on how many sources are indexed, how many articles have been ingested, and how many counties and states have direct local sources - including a transparent look at the coverage gaps that still exist.
Still Have Questions?
We're here to help make ETTG easier to use