AddThis SmartLayers

Thirty sign up to hyperlocal publishers’ new trade body

ICNNThirty members have signed up to a new trade body for hyperlocal publishers aimed at creating more journalism jobs.

The Independent Community News Network has welcomed its first official members after being launched in December last year.

The network, founded by Cardiff University’s Centre for Community Journalism, is free at point of access to all community journalists.

Among those to sign up to the ICNN are The Lincolnite, Wrexham.com, the Hackney Citizen and Inside Croydon.

Other members include the likes of Rochdale Online, Your Harlow and My Welshpool.

Emma Meese, manager of the Centre for Community Journalism, said: “We are proud to have launched the UK’s first and only representative body for community and hyperlocal publishers.

“Journalism is currently experiencing unprecedented instability. The Independent Community News Network was founded to give strength to this rapidly growing sector; to advocate and lobby on behalf of independent news publishers across the country and fight for better opportunities for all.

“Our goal is to create more jobs at the hyperlocal level and promote independent, community-focused, high quality public interest news.”

The West Leeds Dispatch as the ICNN’s first official member earlier this month [August].

Editor John Baron said: “I’m really proud The Dispatch is the first community news publisher in the country to sign up to be part of this exciting new network.

“ICNN shares our values that local news should be independent, community-focused, and should provide a high standard of quality public interest news.

“We look forward to being part of a network that will fight to promote the sustainability and interests of community publishers like us across the country.”