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Weekly’s founder issues anniversary rallying call to local press

The founder of an independent weekly has issued a rallying call for local newspapers as his venture celebrates 15 years in business.

Danny Lockwood, publisher of West Yorkshire-based title The Press, says communities have “never needed local newspapers more than now”.

Danny founded The Press in 2002 in competition with the Dewsbury Reporter, Batley News and Spenborough Guardian group – which he used to edit.

The Press marked its 15th anniversary with an advertising feature to support the birthday edition, which ended up expanding to a four-page wrap-around and 10 inside pages.

Dewsbury Press 15

Danny says around 17,000 copies of the paper are either sold, doorstep delivered, or picked up each week.

He added: “We also have an online page-turning edition and a busy website, so it’s not as though we ignore digital – we just have an old fashioned idea that there’s still money in print.

“The bottom line is that I don’t care how our readers get hold of their copy, just that they want it, read it, engage with us and respond to our advertisers.

“People and communities have never needed local newspapers more than now. We inform, try to entertain, occasionally provoke, we dig deep and we don’t mind getting in the faces of authority.”