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Local World uses Google Digital News Initiative funding to launch ten evening edition apps

By William Turvill

Local World has partnered with Google to launch ten new apps seeking to revive the "spirit" of the evening newspaper edition.

Sent out every work day at 5pm to Android mobile and tablet handsets, the app editions contain "a digestible collection of the most important and entertaining content" from the local area.

The apps do not currently contain any advertising, though they may do in the future.

There are also plans to develop apps to work on Apple products later in the year.

The new apps have so far been delivered for the Bristol Post, Cambridge News, Derby Telegraph, Gloucestershire Echo, Hull Daily Mail, Leicester Mercury, Nottingham Post, South Wales Evening Post, the Stoke Sentinel and the Plymouth Herald.

Google has worked with Local World under its Digital News Initiative. Announced in April, under the DNI scheme Google has offered €150m (£108m) in funding to help news publishers across Europe “develop more sustainable models for news”.

The apps were built in "close collaboration" with the GooglePlay store and the company also provided financial support to the regional publisher's marketing efforts.

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Local World said it had also worked with software house Kaldor to "conceive, design, build and launch the Android-first titles".

A statement said: "The launch on GooglePlay represents the first regional evening news app, and marks Local World’s progress in innovating and adapting to the demand for online local content.

"The apps will use Local World’s audience analytics software to help shape the best possible content to the valuable evening audience."

It added: "The businesses have also worked closely with GooglePlay to ensure the apps adhere to the specified design standards, ensuring their rapid and smooth launch."

Matt Kelly, group digital director at Local World, said: “So many readers and journalists grew up with the evening edition of their local paper being the pulse of their city.

"We’ve taken the essence of this and worked very hard with Google to develop a simple and brilliant new set of apps that will inform and entertain our readers on their way back from work every evening.”

To download the apps visit: https://play.google.com/store.

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