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June 18, 2013updated 09 Jul 2013 1:36pm

Regionals enjoying a Welsh ‘renaissance’? Another newspaper to launch

By William Turvill

A new independent weekly newspaper is to launch in Wales next month – the third to do so in a matter of months.

Some 20,000 copies of the Pembrokeshire Herald will be printed for the first time on 5 July and cost readers across the county 50p.

It follows the launches of the Port Talbot Magnet and Caerphilly Observer in South Wales – both of which were originally local news websites.

The Herald, which is to be published at Megagroup Pembrokeshire, in Milford Haven, is currently seeking to take on three journalists ahead of its release.

The paper is also in the process of launching a website, and is currently on Facebook and Twitter.

A statement on its Twitter page said: “Launching a brand new newspaper title could be seen as a brave venture in this uncertain economic climate, but we at the Herald see a growing need for a county-wide voice for you, the readers.”

Although the area is also served by papers such as the Western Telegraph, editor Bruce Sinclair believes there is a “news gap” to fill in the area.

Sinclair, who has worked across five different Welsh newspapers since 2000, told Press Gazette: “I think the feeling is that locally there is room for competition in the newspaper market.”

He described the recent proliferation of new papers in Wales as "renaissance" for local news after years of cuts made by the UK's big regional publishers.

This year, Trinity Mirror announced it was cutting 16 jobs from Media Wales.

A dummy version of the paper was sent out at the beginning of May. Sinclair said: “Obviously it is a bit of a gamble but I think we are going to have a success.”

The paper will be primarily written in English, but Sinclair also said the paper would have Welsh language content to add to its appeal.

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