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  1. Media Business
September 15, 2009

Midlands weekly closed by Trinity to be relaunched

A free Midlands weekly paper closed by Trinity Mirror in July is to be relaunced by members of its former staff.

The Burton Trader will be reborn on 1 October as the Independent Trader after a local businessman decided to back the title.

The original paper ceased publication in July as Trinity Mirror shut nine weekly papers across the Midlands, leading to the loss of around 90 jobs.

The Independent Trader will start publication after local businessman, Chris Clark, decided to sell his own business to help fund the title.

Clark, who had been a frequent advertiser in the Burton Trader prior to its demise, will act as both managing director and editor of the new paper.

Others involved in the venture include former Burton Trader reporter, Helen Werin, and photographer, Robin Weaver, who previously worked freelance for the paper.

Sadie Norton, also former Trinity Mirror employee, who will take the sales director role after Clark approached her with the idea of relaunching the paper.

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Norton said: “Our long terms plans are to expand the pagnation and distribution of the paper, and if that means we are able to branch out to other areas with other titles then that would be fantastic.

“Our launch may also inspire others to produce new titles in those areas, which would prove that with the right product and structure there is still a demand for free local papers for small communtities, such as ours.”

The Independent Trader will run from offices in Burton on Trent and like its predecessor will be distributed for free in Burton and South Derbyshire.

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