The Lead expands in Lancashire and launches first Substack

The Lead’s expansion of news and features in the North of England has seen the launch of its first venture on Substack.

With a growing stable of titles the micro-magazine has ventured into the newsletter-based publishing of Substack with the launch of The Lancashire Lead.

Arriving in inboxes every Wednesday and Sunday the title takes you inside the biggest stories affecting the county and gives you a quick-to-read digest of all the big issues.

Authored by Lancashire-based journalist Jamie Lopez, and edited by Northern editors Ed Walker and Luke Beardsworth, The Lancashire Lead will also produce original features about the county and keep a close eye on the evolving Devolution settlement brokered by County Hall.

Jamie said: “I'm a proud advocate of the excellent journalism which is done across Lancashire and this Substack provides an exciting way of showcasing it. Changing habits and algorithms mean it's harder than ever for outlets to find their audience, and for audiences to find well informed, trustworthy reporting.

“Supporting The Lancashire Lead will not only bridge that gap, but also enable more original journalism to be published. The Lead has repeatedly shown itself to be an innovative and impactful publisher in a relatively short period of time and I'm excited to play a part in the next stage of that.”

The twice-a-week digests will be free but there’s the option to subscribe and pay to support the venture on Substack and also become a member to receive exclusive member-only original features and investigations as well as connect with Jamie through news tips and more - with subscription starting at £5-a-month.

Luke said: “Despite the challenges the industry has faced, over the last few years especially, there is still so much fantastic journalism produced in Lancashire every day. Our launches in Blackpool and Hyndburn have bolstered that significantly.

“The Lancashire Lead will pull all of it into one place, as well as featuring our own exclusive work from Jamie and other talented reporters, and we’re excited to see what everyone thinks. 

“Taking out a paid subscription is an investment in thoughtful, thorough journalism delivered in a way that doesn’t crash your device. We hope to have your support.”

The Lancashire Lead will be supported by a print edition in the coming months, which will also incorporate some of The Lead’s original journalism from Blackpool and Hyndburn.

The Lancashire Lead is the latest launch from The Lead, which is now publishing across Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Bolton, Teesside, Altrincham & Sale, Hyndburn and will shortly launch in Warrington with two further launches planned during the summer of 2024 and a total of 200,000 free newspapers delivered during the 12 month period across ten places in the North of England.

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