An editor whose role was axed after 30 years in journalism has launched his own media company.

Matt Reader has announced the move after leaving National World following a 22-year-stint with the company and its forerunners.

Matt, pictured, edited the Harrogate Advertiser for 18 months before being made head of audience for National World’s North Yorkshire Weeklies in a group-wide restructure last year.

In that role, which has now been made redundant, he was responsible for all digital content for the company’s titles in Harrogate, Scarborough and on the Yorkshire coast.

Matt’s departure came as part of rounds of cuts affecting more than 50 journalists, but he has now announced his new venture in a post on X.

He aims to offer services including press releases, copywriting, sub-editing, editorial advice and crisis PR.

Matt wrote: “So the new chapter is ready to be written. After 22 years with Johnston Press/JPIMedia/National World I am bouncing back from redundancy by going it alone as a freelance and setting up Matt Reeder Media.

“Scary? Oh yes. Exciting? You bet. Let’s do this.”

Matt trained at Portsmouth’s Highbury College before starting out in 1993 as a trainee journalist on the Northavon Gazette, in Bristol.

He then worked for the Derby Telegraph from 1996 to 1998 before moving into sport with the Swindon Advertiser, where he covered Swindon Town FC and became sports editor.

Matt joined JP in 2001, becoming chief football writer at the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post ahead of a 12-year spell running their sportsdesks from 2004 to 2016.

He was made head of digital at the Leeds-based sister dailies in 2016, then moved to Harrogate two years later. There, he served as content editor and deputy editor at the Advertiser, before stepping up to the editor’s chair in March 2021.