Reach is expanding its online hyperlocal news aggregator In Your Area into new regions, creating ten editorial roles.
In Your Area gives users a personalised feed of news and other local information based on their postcode, with stories curated from Reach-owned publications and rival news websites covering their area.
Since its launch in 2017 it has reached 2.5m engaged users and “consistently” records double digit monthly growth, Reach said.
New editorial roles being created with the expansion include community editors and community content curators, initially based in Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester, with other locations still to be announced.
Some 47 non-editorial jobs are also being created, with 43 commercial roles to be based in Nottingham and four technical and administrative roles in London.
The In Your Area websites are separate from Reach’s network of “Live” news websites, such as Birmingham Live, which cover dedicated regions.
In Your Area editor-in-chief Ed Walker, who also heads up Reach’s regional network, said: “The appetite for neighbourhood level news is strong in the UK. We see this consistently reflected in our regional audience data and by the success In Your Area has already achieved.
“Through this platform we have a way of delivering a personalised feed of the latest local news, information and more to every postcode in the UK.
“I look forward to working with the team to grow our user base in areas already served by our ‘Live’ network, as well as in regions new to Reach.”
In November Reach announced it would launch at least seven new regional news websites under its Live branding and recruit 46 journalists in a “significant expansion” of its digital network.
The publisher said the push to expand its digital offering was being led by its new chief executive, Jim Mullen, who joined the company in August last year.
Mullen said: “In Your Area has already shown impressive growth in a relatively short time, and this further expansion extends our leadership journey in the growing hyperlocal sector.
“Through these investments, we are continuing to bolster a highly engaged online readership in every corner of the country, while also securing the future of our trusted regional journalism.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
