An editor appointed in a regional publisher’s fresh drive to localise its journalism has left her hometown newspaper almost 20 years after she joined it.

Louise Cooper has announced her departure from the Buxton Advertiser, which she had edited since March last year.

Louise, who began her career on the Advertiser in 2003, was one of five editors to have been appointed to JPIMedia weekly papers in the North Midlands and South Yorkshire when new owner National World vowed to decentralise the company.

Louise’s departure means all five editors appointed in thar initiative have now left National World.

The others to have moved on are Ashley Booker, of the Mansfield Chad, Liam Hoden, of the Doncaster Free Press, the Sheffield Telegraph’s Ellen Beardmore and Sam Jackson, of the Worksop Guardian.

Louise, pictured, will begin a new job away from journalism this week, but has yet to reveal what the role is.

She wrote in a farewell column: “When I took over the role last year, I wrote in this column that I had big changes planned for the paper and I’m pleased to say that many of those were successfully implemented.

“For example, we now offer a dedicated local entertainments section, and I’ve made it my mission to ensure that only content relevant to the High Peak has ever been included in print.

“While Covid and other reasons mean I haven’t been able to introduce or change all of the things I had planned, I’d like to hope our readers have noticed the difference in recent months and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continuous support.

“This week is my last week at the Advertiser as I leave the paper – and the journalism industry – behind to take on a new challenge.”

After training at Sheffield College, Louise spent 12 years as a reporter at the Advertiser. From 2015 to 2019, she worked as digital editor with the paper’s then-publisher Johnston Press.

Louise then spent two years as specialist editor at Sheffield daily The Star before taking on her most recent role.

Speaking to HTFP, she said: “I’ve been really grateful for all the fantastic opportunities working at the Buxton Advertiser and associated titles has offered me over the last two decades.

“I want to place on record my thanks to all the dedicated and hard-working colleagues I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside.”

HTFP has approached National World for information on who is now editing the Advertiser.