The Glasgow Evening Times is launching a network of up to 80 community websites covering every major district in the city.
The first twelve of the sites, which went live today, cover ultra local news while including listings for local schools, leisure centres, doctors and events. Readers and bodies such as the police, local council and health board are being encouraged to upload material and community groups are invited to create their own ‘mini sites”.
The Evening Times has hailed the network the ‘most ambitious network of community websites ever”. In January 2007 Trinity Mirror launched a group of free newspapers in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee after The Sun replaced The Daily Record as Scotland’s number top selling newspaper.
The paper will also look to recruit local correspondents to help run the sites.
Editor Donald Martin said: ‘No newspaper in the UK has done anything like this in such wide-ranging detail. It’s a massive investment in community news, and we’re delighted to be involved with our readers both in print and now online.’
He told readers in the paper: ‘It can’t be stressed too often that these are your sites.
‘Whatever is going on will be highlighted on your local site. We’re looking for videos to be uploaded of your local fun-run or youth group’s day out as well.
‘What we want is for you to put your pictures or videos onto your community website, where people can see them.’
The community sites can also be found via the link on the paper’s main website www.eveningtimes.co.uk
The first 12 sites cover Cardonald, Dennistoun, Easterhouse, Gorbals, Hillhead, Maryhill, Partick, Robroyston, Shawlands, Springburn, Tollcross and Whiteinch. All addresses take the area name eg shawlands.eveningtimes.co.uk
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