Following the successful launch of weekly email newsletters for Blackpool, Bolton, Stoke-on-Trent and Teesside the focus will be put back on the North West.
Launching throughout April and May will be The Hyndburn Lead, The Altrincham & Sale Lead as well as The Warrington Lead.
The Hyndburn Lead will bring long-read news and features with in-depth coverage to Accrington, Oswaldtwistle and Great Harwood.
George Francis Lee, an Oswaldtwistle-based journalist working on the project, said: "Hyndburn is my home. People from smaller northern towns have come to expect a level of disinterest from the media and typical local newspaper models are challenged. We can start to offer something new with The Hyndburn Lead.
“I'm excited for The Hyndburn Lead to produce journalism as interesting and varied as the towns and people that make up our district."
The launch in Altrincham & Sale will see The Lead's Northern operation, led by editor Luke Beardsworth, work closely with hyperlocal title Altrincham Today, and in Warrington the team will work closely with independent title Warrington Worldwide.
David Prior, publisher of Altrincham Today, said: “This is good news for Altrincham and Sale. The past decade has hardly been a period of growth for the local news industry, but The Lead’s issues-led long-read journalism is showing that when done well, there is no more important part of a functioning democracy. We’re looking forward to partnering with The Lead both online and in print.”
The Lead, a campaigning micro-mag and newspaper, is launching in ten places across the North of England and printing 200,000 free newspapers during the course of 2024.
Lead Editor (North), Ed Walker, said: “We’ve seen a strong response to our in-depth features and news exploring issues in all the places we’ve launched in so far.
“In Hyndburn, Warrington and Altrincham & Sale we have proud places, people and towns which have lots of stories waiting to be told.
“Through partnering with existing publications it’s important to recognise the good local journalism already going on and ensure as The Lead we’re working to complement that.”
Natalie Morris, Lead Senior Editor (National), grew up in Altrincham & Sale and still has strong connections with the towns and surrounding areas: “I’m incredibly proud to continue The Lead’s expansion into the North West, particularly in a place that is still home for me in many ways. Altrincham is consistently voted one of the best places to live, but there is so much more to it than good schools and footballer’s mansions.
“It has been fascinating to witness the changes that have taken place in Altrincham over the last few decades. I’m excited to see the varied and nuanced stories that will emerge as we look to local journalists to dig below the surface to uncover the issues that really matter in this region.”
Following the launch of the email newsletters there will be a print edition of each title produced, in Altrincham and Warrington these will be distributed in association with the established hyperlocal titles alongside their current free print products.
The Lead is currently accepting news and feature pitches for all the places listed - email [email protected] to be considered.
You can sign up to be one of the first to receive The Lead's new titles - just tap below:
The Hyndburn Lead
The Altrincham & Sale Lead
The Warrington Lead
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