Growth on the home turf


Neil Merrick talks to people who make local news matter W


ithin 24 hours of being made redundant last May, Sally Churchward came up with a way she could carry on working as a journalist in Southampton. Churchward had been a feature writer at


the Daily Echo for 18 years and edited its lifestyle supplement. Having seen many colleagues lose their jobs, it was not a huge surprise when her turn arrived. Given 10 days before she would leave the newsroom for the


final time, she decided to set up a website. Not only would the site feature community and human interest articles like those in the Echo, but it would also include material that may not necessarily appeal to traditional titles. In Common was launched in August, with articles on


everything from hedgehogs to transgender issues. Churchward had expected to put some of her small redundancy package into the venture but ultimately raised £800 through crowdfunding and has since received further donations, including £200 from a vegan co-op. The biggest sense of loss in leaving the Echo was no longer feeling part of the community. It was gratifying to hear people saying they would miss her articles, and receiving messages on Facebook from people she did not know. Most articles published by In Common are timeless and, for


now anyway, the site is not taking adverts. Visitors can, if they wish, donate via a fundraising page. “There is no point in trying to compete with the Echo,” she says. Nationally, an estimated 300 independent news outlets (sometimes called hyperlocals) operate instead of or alongside traditional titles. While there is no guarantee of success, setting one up presents an option for journalists who lose their job or anyone concerned about lack of community news. “Fifteen years ago, it was not an option,” says Matt Abbott, project officer at the Independent Community News Network, based at Cardiff University. “It’s become easier to set up a new publication.” Brighton and Hove News was launched 10 years ago by Frank Le Duc and carries a range of news, sport, culture and opinion. He dislikes the term hyperlocal, pointing out that his site serves a wide area, albeit not as large as that covered by the Brighton Argus where he was once deputy editor. Le Duc, who has also worked for national media, respects the Argus but now sees it as a rival. Five years ago, following a redesign, his site decided to take adverts – an experience that proved more difficult than interviewing bereaved relatives at


16 | theJournalist


courts or inquests. “It’s much harder knocking on people’s doors and asking them to advertise,” he says. Like many independents, Brighton and Hove News is hosted by Wordpress. It has a core readership of about 50,000 people who visit the site at least once a week. While relatively cheap to set up, online titles will almost certainly require further investment to ensure they look professional. Le Duc eventually paid an agency about £3,000. “We were quite demanding on the people who helped us,” he says. Nowadays, Le Duc works with a co-editor, takes arts reviews and football stories from enthusiasts who work for free, and shares a local democracy reporter with five other titles, including the Argus. “I’m never going to grow rich,” he says. “It’s hard to make money out of journalism or from the internet as a journalist if you want to provide community news, but it’s not impossible.” Unlike many regional sites, independents such as Brighton


Thriving site built on a ‘hard grind’


WHEN TONY Millett moved to Marlborough in 2007, the former managing editor of Channel 4 News was anticipating a quiet retirement. But 13 years on, he and


other volunteers who run Marlborough Online News are as busy as ever, sometimes working the equivalent of a 35- or 40-hour week. Back in the 1990s, two


weekly newspapers had offices in the Wiltshire town. Those days are long gone. Without the website, set up in 2011, there would be virtually no coverage of local


events, the town council and many other issues. Residents are mostly


appreciative of the news service but they can fail to realise that the site is run by volunteers. Millett recalls an email he


received complaining that an accident had not been reported. “People assume we are


there. That’s one of the things that upsets me. They have no idea how much work goes into it,” he says. The team of four in charge


of Marlborough Online News have a variety of journalistic experience. The site receives


Keeping it local: Frank LeDuc in Brighton (photo by Julia Claxton) and Sally Churchward in Southampton (photo by Chris Balcombe)


20,000 unique visits per month and is mostly funded through advertising. Most people are alerted to the stories via Facebook, although some go directly to the site. Stories about the high


street are particularly popular, as is health coverage. Each year, the site makes enough to sponsor sports clubs and the town’s literary festival. The only money claimed by journalists is mileage. “It’s a hard grind,” says


Millett, who also worked at News at Ten. “We’ve been trying to find extra people for a long time and failed. There aren’t people in the town or area who are experienced and prepared to work for nothing.”


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