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Journalists take on old paper with arts news website

Four former regional daily colleagues have set up a website to cover the local arts scene in competition with their former employer.

The quartet of ex-Coventry Telegraph journalists have founded Elementary What’s On to cover the theatre scene on their old patch.

Its founders are husband and wife Peter Walters and Barbara Goulden, both former writers at the Telegraph, former news editor Steve Chilton, and Charles Barker, who was deputy editor.

The website was founded after a “wine-fuelled discussion on the sad decline of local newspapers”, during which Barbara bemoaned a lack of arts and theatre coverage.

From left: Steve Chilton, Barbara Goulden, Charles Barker and Peter Walters

From left: Steve Chilton, Barbara Goulden, Charles Barker and Peter Walters

Charles told her: “The solution is obvious. Set up a website and do it yourself.”

Other contributors to the site include fellow former Telegraph journalists, with coverage expanding from just reviews to include news, interviews and features about Coventry’s theatre scene.

Said Barbara: “There’s obviously a big demand for this. There must be thousands of people in our area involved with theatre at various levels, and thousands more who enjoy going to the theatre.

“They want more than just listings, they want to know something about a play before they go to see it. And we don’t just tell them what we think, we invite their views.

“We’re thrilled about it and from the feedback we’ve had so far, our followers and the theatres themselves are delighted with it.”

Steve added: “We’re having a lot of fun while providing a useful service. It’s not meant to be money-making, although if someone wanted to advertise we wouldn’t turn them away. But we’re definitely here to stay.”

The foursome are the latest former Trinity Mirror journalists to set up niche websites in competition with their former employer.

The past two months have seen former Cornish Guardian journalist Graham Smith set up Cornwall Reports while Kathy Bailes, former editor of the Thanet Gazette, launched Isle of Thanet News.

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  • March 17, 2017 at 5:02 pm
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    I do believe Coventry is vying to become a city of culture, but, the Telegraph ditched its arts column last year.
    Good luck to these guys.
    One day, the clueless newspaper bosses might realise they are missing a trick.

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