Newsquest is launching a new paid-for weekly newspaper and daily website covering the city of Salford, Greater Manchester, with plans to recruit local reporters who know the area.
Salford City News will print its first edition, with a cover price of 80p, and launch online at salfordcitynews.co.uk on 24 January.
The regional publisher is also launching a new edition of daily the Northern Echo covering Teesside the same day, responding to reader demand.
Karl Holbrook, regional group editor for Lancashire and Greater Manchester, said Newsquest is “recruiting talented local reporters, who know and love Salford” for the new weekly title.
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Echo editor Hannah Chapman has said the paper is also hiring journalists “with a passion for the area”, although Newsquest did not confirm staff numbers for either title when approached by Press Gazette.
Salford is separated from the city of Manchester by the River Irwell and is home to the BBC and ITV’s northern hubs, both of which are based at Media City in Salford Quays.
Holbrook added: “Salford is an amazing place, full of history and culture. But there is a real sense on the ground that Salford is often ignored next to its louder sibling across the River Irwell – we think this is a crying shame.
“Salford deserves to have its own dedicated newspaper flying the flag for its residents and I am absolutely determined to bring the needs and concerns of real ‘Salfordians’ into the light with this exciting launch.”
Salford is already covered by Reach-owned daily newspaper the Manchester Evening News, which has a circulation of 33,600 copies.
But Holbrook said Newsquest believes there is a “sustainable publishing future in Salford as a weekly print brand and as the daily online provider of the best local content”.
The new edition of North East daily the Northern Echo will include increased coverage of Stockton, Middlesbrough – and Middlesbrough FC – Redcar and Cleveland. It will cost 87p weekdays and £1.25 on Saturdays.
Chapman said: “I regularly get asked by readers for more Teesside content, so taking the two things together, it seemed like a natural step to increase our coverage with this new edition.
“We’re also boosting our online offering, so readers can find out all the latest news and information.
“There is so much potential in the area, with Middlesbrough as the unofficial capital of Teesside, but also in the towns of Stockton, Yarm, Redcar and Saltburn, that we’re really looking forward to getting to the heart of the issues that matter in those communities.”
Picture: Newsquest
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