Rival publishers look set for an old-fashioned newspaper “war” as Newsquest prepares to launch a new weekly freesheet on a Johnston Press title’s patch.
A website has been set up for the Eastbourne Independent, pictured below, which promises “free weekly news”, in competition with JP’s Eastbourne Gazette.
The move comes two months after JP acquired the free weekly Brighton & Hove Independent, which runs in competition with the city’s daily Newsquest title, The Argus.
While no further details have been released about who will staff the new Eastbourne Independent, its companion website lists its address as being Argus headquarters.
The moves comes as Gazette editor Gary Shipton revealed the paper would be switching from tabloid to broadsheet format as part of an upcoming relaunch.
No print launch date has yet been set for the new Eastbourne title.
Commenting on the launch, media commentator Roy Greenslade, who lives in the area, wrote: “Something of an old-fashioned press war has opened up between Johnston Press and Newsquest on the south coast since JP acquired the Brighton & Hove Independent in July, thereby offering competition to Newsquest’s Brighton Argus.
“The Eastbourne Herald greeted its owner’s acquisition by remarking that its advertisers would ‘now have the opportunity to reach potential customers in Brighton and Hove’.
“So, with a Johnston Press tank on its Brighton lawn, Newsquest clearly thinks it needs to place its own tank on the Eastbourne lawn. To that end, it has already launched an Eastbourne Independent website.
“That kind of newspaper competition is even more of a return to the past than the Gazette’s broadsheet move. And there’s nothing wrong with that, of course. Readers and advertisers (and journalists, hopefully) are the likely beneficiaries.”
When JP took over the Brighton Independent in July, the paper claimed a weekly circulation of 13,005 copies.
Johnston Press South MD Karl Dimmock assumed responsibility for the business, with Gary overseeing editorial
Other competitors in the city include the web-only Brighton and Hove News, run by former Argus deputy editor Frank LeDuc, while Worthing Journal editor Paul Holden has also spoken of plans to launch a sister paper there.
No-one from Newsquest has been available for comment on the proposed new launch.
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Exciting times ahead. I hope it boosts the value of my free shares. Worth about £100 at the moment. Fingers crossed…..
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Even better… You can ‘like’ your own comment on this site…
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I welcome the new titles to the area, there is much to report in this great town. A broadsheet title is a great move given the demographic. Feel that the Newsquest Independent is a bit samey to the Brighton Indy – is it really needed?
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There are similarities here with a JP experiment from nearly ten years ago when a series of midweek free papers (many called Extra or Xtra) sprang up around the country. The plan was to show the City that debt-laden JP were still capable of launching new titles and selling cheap advertising to a small, designated local area. It could only be funded by utilising existing staff. So the fact that the Eastbourne Independent shares an address with the Argus probably tells its own story. Incidentally, most of the Extras disappeared within three years.
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JP have a series called Weekender. Its papers are truly pathetic pieces of budgie cage material. I dont think even struggling Newsquest have anything to fear from JPs dead hand on local journalism.
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Two sad old tramps fight over a bag of chips. The hardest hit will be the poor staff. What a waste of paper. Only the shareholders win
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It will be the first war in history without any troops, fighting over a battleground that has already been lost, years after both generals surrendered.
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Well you have to give it to the The Argus, its 14 page picture supplement with pictures taken on June 21st 2015 placed in todays paper 22-9-15 is gripping!!!
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I see BBC South East gave this phoney war an airing, though failing to mention either Newsquest or Johnston Press and failing to get anyone from either paper to speak to them.I don’t think the people of Eastbourne give a damn about it, or any of the local papers, all of whom are now much poorer quality.
Watch this space (or maybe find something better to do!)
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