At a time of relentless cutbacks and closures across the industry, a rare piece of good news has seen the launch of a new news outlet in West Yorkshire, writes Tony Harcup. The Exchange is the latest addition to the Mill Media group of online outlets that include The Post in Liverpool.
Ahead of the latest launch in June, Post editor Abi Whistance (pictured above, formerly of the Yorkshire Evening Post) crossed the Pennines to tell our branch AGM that she had found “a different way of working” on the subscription-based titles, with more time to invest in stories and investigations rather than chasing story counts or clicks.
Launch editor Daniel Timms added that the idea was “to bring a new kind of local news to Leeds and West Yorkshire, with investigations, long reads and beautifully written features”.
Two journalists, Brad Deas and Mia Jankowicz, have been recruited to work from a newsroom in Dock Street, just across the river from Leeds city centre, and more jobs may come up in the future.
As with other titles in the group, The Exchange is offering a thrice-weekly free email newsletter to anyone who signs-up, plus more substantial reads for those willing to pay.
Early weeks have seen in-depth reports on the never-ending Leeds tram saga, the growth of “luxury” towers to house students, and the man currently camping outside the magistrates’ court in Bradford.
In addition to this original reporting, The Exchange is also crediting other local media by linking to stories as well as offering a few suggestions of activities that readers might enjoy each week.