On the surface, Heidi Short’s job isn’t very exciting. She’s a land-use and zoning attorney with Phoenix-based law firm Fennemore Craig PC.

But it’s what Short does with the information she gleans from local zoning and permit applications that has piqued people’s interest, and it’s emblematic of the changing face of media and information.

Short pens the Arizona Dirt Lawyer blog on the Valley’s restaurant scene. She uses city agendas to figure out restaurant and bar openings and expansions before they become public knowledge. She launched the blog in May and spends about five to 10 hours a week posting information.

Recent blog posts mention new restaurants opening in Biltmore Fashion Park and downtown Scottsdale, as well as the reopening of Richardson’s restaurant in Phoenix, which had been damaged by fire.

Short’s blog is one of the growing number of examples of how the information landscape is changing and traditional media no longer have a monopoly on news. There are hosts of blogs in large markets such as Phoenix, offering niche and specialized information on local sports teams, politics, restaurants, technology and public relations.