A content-sharing deal between a group of regional newspapers in the North-East and the BBC is being piloted.
Under the scheme, the BBC’s local news websites in the Tyne and Tees regions are displaying links to stories carried by daily print titles in the area.
Among those taking part in the experiment are Newcastle sister dailies The Chronicle and The Journal, the Shields Gazette, Sunderland Echo, the Hartlepool Mail and the Darlington-based Northern Echo.
Staff at the titles wanting a particular story to be shared post a link to Twitter accompanied by #BBCNorthEast, which is then picked up and added to the live feed, pictured below.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC has introduced Local Live as a pilot scheme in a number of English regions including the North East, where one key focus is on finding the best way of sharing information between the BBC and local newspapers.
“In the North East, as in Yorkshire, the BBC and other local media outlets are developing new ways of ensuring that the most relevant and helpful content is shared in a timely manner. Subject to findings, the approach may be rolled out more widely across the UK over the next year.”
At this month’s Society of Editors conference James Harding, the BBC’s director of news, pledged to help lead what he termed the “revival” of local journalism in a speech to delegates.
Regional editors have long campaigned for the BBC to accredit local newspapers when it uses their stories, with some suggesting that they should pay for content.
Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, said: “Although it is still very much at the experimental stage, I see it as a positive step towards working constructively with the BBC.
“Apart from anything else, it is a positive marketing exercise for the participating titles to have a presence on the BBC site, and it will be interesting to see if it has any impact on traffic back to our sites.”
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Many congratulations. Our newspaper “suits” have found yet another way of giving readers their news free of charge – and more reason not to buy a paper. Sheer genius!
Report this comment
We’ve spent years fist-shaking at the local BBC for using our front pages almost like a script for their news bulletins, but for it to result in this? No!
We fell out for a long time with BBC CWR over this issue.
There’s something so desperately wrong with this that I barely even know where to start with it.
Report this comment
Is licence payer money being used to help finance local newspapers then ?
Report this comment
Help! more cow pie. Can’t get
any more desperate than this, can it! I worry for any paper journos involved in this.
Report this comment
Noooooooooo!!! Shakes head in disbelief.
Report this comment
BBC get a better website and more reasons for people to go on it. Newspapers get extra clicks from said BBC website. But who wins in the long run? Both?
Report this comment