Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
March 31, 2014

Johnston’s Skegness Standard becomes latest regional paper to experiment with virtual office

By Press Gazette

A Johnston Press weekly newspaper in Skegness has become the latest to experiment with a "virtual office" set-up, with the council donating a desk at a local theatre for a reporter to meet readers.
The Skegness Standard is closing its newsroom and one reporter will be available at a weekly drop-in surgery.
East Lindsey District Council leader Doreen Stephenson said: "We understand that in the current economic climate sometimes they have to look at different ways of working.
"We support the Standard, as we would any of our local businesses, and have accepted a request for a reporter to use a desk at the Embassy Theatre one day a week to help them maintain a local presence."
Editor Stephen Stray told BBC Lincolnshire: "We feel it is an improvement for the community because we'll be out in the community a lot more.
"We're very much still there, part of the town, part of the community."
Johnston Press created what is believed to be the first virtual office for a major UK regional newspaper at the Hemel Hempstead Gazette earlier this year.
The five journalists on the title work from home using the Atex content management system and are equipped with a laptop for video-conferencing.
Trinity Mirror's Crewe Chronicle announced a similar move earlier this month.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Websites in our network