Bloggers To Write Local News

The Guardian Newspaper has confirmed that it will be hiring Bloggers for its local news service. The announcement by the paper that it was looking to hire qualified bloggers who could cover "community news and report on local developments" is a strong indication of the publishers acceptance that "citizen reporters" hold a legitimate place in the news gathering process. The Guardian has said that it will commence with Leeds, Cardiff and Edinburgh, but that they are planning to launch similar local news projects across a number of locations.

Brand Republic reported Emily Bell, director of digital development at Guardian News & Media, as saying: "Guardian Local is a small-scale experimental approach to local newsgathering. We are focusing on three politically engaged cities and we expect to launch in early 2010."

The Guardian are not however the only publication going in this direction. The Guardian will join a growing list of national UK publishers who are looking to tap into the local market. The Mirror Group recently launched more than 100 hyper-local websites that serve specific UK postcodes, with user generated content, while Associated Northcliffe Digital launched a local project with 50 regional news sites allowing people to write and upload their own content.

"Guardian Local is a small-scale experimental approach to local newsgathering. We are focusing on three politically engaged cities and we expect to launch in early 2010," said Bell. Sarah Hartley, the Guardian Local launch editor said: "While researching developments at the grassroots of community journalism, I've been impressed by the range and depth of coverage from local websites and blogs. This experimental project reflects both the shifting nature of journalism and the reality on the ground."

The Guardian has stated that the Bloggers they are looking for will have journalistic qualifications.