Your West Leeds Dispatch has today become the first member of a new national representative network aimed at the independent community and hyperlocal news sector.
The Independent Community News Network (ICNN) will advocate and lobby on behalf of independent news publishers across the country and fight for better opportunities for all.
Dispatch editor John Baron said:
“I’m really proud The Dispatch is the first community news publisher in the country to sign up to be part of this exciting new network.
“ICNN shares our values that local news should be independent, community-focused, and should provide a high standard of quality public interest news. We look forward to being part of a network that will fight to promote the sustainability and interests of community publishers like us across the country.”
ICNN has been facilitated by the Centre for Community Journalism (C4CJ), which is based at Cardiff University and offers networking, information and support for hyperlocal or community journalists.
It’s been a busy 2017 for The Dispatch so far.
Earlier this year we became regulated by independent press regulator Impress and, last month, we set up a social enterprise called West Leeds Community Media Ltd to support and sustain the Dispatch moving forward.
Editor John Baron added:
“We hope all these moves will help make The Dispatch, which is run entirely on a voluntary basis, more sustainable in the future and allow us to continue to bring our readers the latest local community news and views and further improve what we offer.”