A former regional and national press journalist has launched a new website covering his old patch.

Chris Brown took voluntary redundancy from his role as deputy backbench editor with the Bristol-based Western Daily Press in April as part of a shake-up of subbing operations.

His new project Bristol24-7.com went live yesterday with Chris hoping it will become the “first port of call” for both visitors and Bristolians wanting to keep abreast of news and events in the south-west city.

He told HTFP: “The plan is to be a newspaper made for the internet with the eventual aim of being the first port of call for anybody wanting to know what’s going on in the city.

“I am going to doing my own original stuff and I have a few people saying they’re going to me out help as well. I’m going to start small and take it a step at a time.

“The site is all my own work. I’m not a top notch web designer but it’s possible to come up with a professional looking site just using some of the tools that are freely available out there.”

Bristol 24-7 is offering the staples which readers should normally find in their local paper such as court coverage, What’s On, sport, education and business news.

The 35-year-old will be initially financing the site through other work he is doing to help businesses improve their own digital marketing strategies.

He says he first came up with the idea for the site three years ago and finalised his business model before Christmas.

Chris started his journalism career with The Independent in 1998 and joined the Western Daily Press in 2002 where he remained until this spring.

Comments

chris g (30/06/2009 09:17:59)
It’s good to see there are so many journalistic entrepreneurs out there making there mark on there own patches from the recession. It’s what we need more of…independent style journalism – instead of hearing the same old voices all the time. I wish him luck in his new venture.
http://www.plenty2say.com

Fox Mulder (30/06/2009 10:10:06)
One man band community journalism’s going to become increasingly prevailant online as papers cut back on staff and inevitably move away from their communities/readers.
When I’m made redundant (and I suspect it is when rather than if), I’ll be doing something similar to this. Good on ya, pal, show em how it should be done!!

Onlooker (30/06/2009 10:10:09)
Good luck to you, Chris, although making money from such a site is the hardest part – as so many other websites have found. Also, it might be an idea to take out some insurance to cover yourself in case the site is ever sued, especially if you are planning to carry court cases involving crims’ and beady-eyed lawyers.

Hacked Off (30/06/2009 10:53:44)
Making “there” mark on “there” own patches? It will become “prevailant”? Doesn’t anyone care about accurate spellings these days? If spellings are not checked for accuracy, maybe the stories won’t be either.

George Halladay (01/07/2009 11:29:38)
Congratulations Chris! Having worked on and off over 30 years on the WDP and latterly the Evening Post aswell, being made redundant (at the age of 75) last year, I wish you all the best. It is a great shame that so many jobs have had to go in the news room and districts. But that is the way of the world. Carry on crafting.