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Weekly launched in ‘newspaper war’ closes after less than 11 months

A weekly launched during a newspaper war between two rival publishers has been closed after less than 11 months.

Newsquest title the Eastbourne Independent has been withdrawn from shop shelves, while its website has not been updated for nearly three weeks.

The free Independent was launched in September 2015 in competition with Johnston Press-owned weeklies the Eastbourne Herald and Eastbourne Gazette.

It followed JP’s purchase of free weekly the Brighton & Hove Independent, which runs in competition with Newsquest daily The Argus, in July of last year.

The launch issue of the Eastbourne Independent

The launch issue of the Eastbourne Independent

The Independent was launched with a print run of 13,500 and was edited by Peter Lindsey, who was formerly in charge at JP’s two Eastbourne titles before losing his job in 2009 as part of cost-cutting measures.

It is not yet known whether Peter will be remaining with the company as a result of the closure, but it is understood that he could be offered a new role.

At the time of the Independent’s launch, he said: “I am delighted to be working on this exciting project. I will be putting my heart and soul into this new paper.

“I will be reporting on the news as well as being actively involved in the community – just as I was when editor before.

“Eastbourne is a wonderful place, full of wonderful people, and it will be a privilege to be able to communicate and interact again with the public in this way.”

Newsquest has declined to comment.

8 comments

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  • August 11, 2016 at 11:37 am
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    At the time of the Independent’s launch, Peter said: “I am delighted to be working on this exciting project. I will be putting my heart and soul into this new paper.” I don’t think there’s much mileage in doing that these days, old son. I presume staff other than just Peter (whose fate is unclear in this report) have been affected. What’s happened to them?

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  • August 11, 2016 at 2:46 pm
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    As was said at time this launch was a 100% spoiler tactic by NQ doomed to failure from the off, it’s those who fell for the ‘quality newspaper…proud launch etc bull that I feel sorry for having been taken in by it being anything other than a cheap trick but one which turned out to be costly
    No interest in the area,the community or the staff just an attempt to grab ££££

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  • August 11, 2016 at 3:05 pm
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    I’m not surprised after stunning front page pictures like that.

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  • August 11, 2016 at 5:41 pm
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    Hmmm.. re front page pic
    Intelligent use of white space, perhaps?

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  • August 12, 2016 at 12:23 am
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    Dick Minim – Peter probably didn’t say it at all. It probably came from PR, a breed renowned for penning meaningless guff.

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  • August 12, 2016 at 9:53 am
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    Harold – hang your head in shame. PR “meaningless guff”? I am delighted, nay, ecstatic, to inform you that the exciting world of spin and flummery is an essential conceptual tool in the actualisation of our ongoing processes going forward. So, think on, Harold, think on.

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  • August 12, 2016 at 10:07 am
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    Contrast this with the Driffield story at the top of the page. No more to say!

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  • August 12, 2016 at 3:30 pm
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    Back in the good old days, newspapers were sometimes derided by their critics as being tomorrow’s (or yesterday’s) chip paper. These bad new days, I’m starting to wonder – as new publications apparently come and go at their owner’s whim – if the old saying is becoming literally true.

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