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Blog and freesheet appoint first paid news editor

A hyperlocal blog and monthly freesheet in London have hired their first paid news editor after a campaign to raise the £15,000 necessary.

The Brixton Blog and its print stablemate the Brixton Bugle have appointed freelance journalist Anna McKie in a bid to source stronger front page stories and deeper investigations.

A crowdfunding campaign on the blog was set up to raised the required cash “for a part-time role paying the London living wage”.

The blog was launched by Zoë Jewell in 2010 with the Bugle launched two years later when Tim Dickens, formerly of the Ilford Recorder, joined as co-editor.

Discussing the campaign, Zoë told journalism.co.uk: “It did make clear to a lot of people quite what the struggle is for local news and how hard it is to raise money.

“That’s the challenge, always, to think beyond the single passionate volunteer and question whether it’s sustainable on a long term basis.”

A pitch advertising the crowdfunding campaign sated: “Up until now, we’ve just about scraped by.

“But our small ad revenue from the paper just about covers costs.

“We’ve also been missing some of the news that we really should have been onto.”

To read the full interview, click here.