Bethesda Now, which began publishing in August 2012, next month will merge with Bethesda Beat, the daily news publication of Bethesda Magazine. The deal, announced yesterday, is part of an expansion of Bethesda Beat. Starting May 6, Bethesda Now editor Aaron Kraut will join Andrew Metcalf, the editor of Bethesda Beat, at the expanded publication. Bethesda Beat will increase the average number of articles is publishes daily from six to eight. "By combining the resources of Bethesda Now and Bethesda Beat, we will be able to substantially increase the breadth and depth of our coverage–and the size of our readership," said Steve Hull, editor and publisher of Bethesda Magazine. "This is the dream team of local reporting," Hull continued. "They know what's going on in Bethesda and the surrounding towns better than anyone. They both have amazing sources and ability to write quickly and concisely." Bethesda Now's article archives will remain online and will eventually be transferred to the Bethesda Magazine website. Bethesda Magazine will also take ownership of Bethesda Now's social media accounts and email subscriber list. Bethesda Now is being sold by Local News Now LLC, a publisher of D.C. local news websites including ARLnow.com, RestonNow.com and HillNow.com. "We're very proud of our coverage of Bethesda for the past two-and-a-half years," said Scott Brodbeck, founder of Local News Now. "Selling the site was a hard decision, but it was made easier knowing that we were selling to a locally-owned, independent media company with a long tradition of service to the Bethesda community."
Bethesda Now to Merge With Bethesda Beat
