SHETLAND NEWS

Rhiannon Davies launched Greater Govanhill (GG) online in March 2020, with the first print edition published in December 2020. GG publishes 4,000 magazines on a quarterly basis distributed, by volun-teers, to local shops/cafés/ hairdressers/pubs as well as to some households. GG works with community groups and food banks to get the magazines into the hands of those most isolated.

Covering Govanhill and the surrounding areas in the Southside of Glasgow - one of the most multicultural and densely populated areas of Scotland, the title aims to challenge negative perceptions of the area by celebrating the diversity making it so unique.

EMPOWERMENT

Rhiannon said: “We don't avoid serious issues, but cover them from a solutionsfocused perspective. Specifically, we aim to provide a platform to typically underrepresented voices to empower people to tell their own stories in their own words.

“Since we began so many people have told us what a positive impact the magazine has had, whether that's helping to understand their neighbours a little better, or learning about community groups to get involved with, or creating new connections in a strangely isolated world.

“We ran a piece about the local community garden prompting a flurry of volunteer sign ups. Online, some of our most impactful stories have been inspiring examples of people making a difference - such as a group of residents who transformed their shared backcourt and made good friends in the process.

“When so much of our media is controlled by huge conglomerates and run for profit, it can often sow division and do more harm than good. The beauty of hyperlocal news is that it can properly serve the community it covers, listening to what the community needs and responding directly.”

www.greatergovanhill.com

Shetland News (SN) is a small but widely read online news organisation covering the Shetland Islands. Established in 2003, the site has been regarded as an independent community news organisation, long before the new emerging sector started to organise itself. SN is a member of ICNN, is regulated by IMPRESS and works closely with PINF.

Serving a core community of 23,000 people, Shetland News records around 50,000 unique users per week. Last year, the website at www.shetnews.co.uk recorded more than 14 million page views, which represents a growth of 86 per cent over the last two years.

EVOLUTION

Shetland News started life as the Shetland News Agency in the 1990s. As freelance agency work became more and more scarce the idea of publishing their material online appeared to be the obvious way forward.

Today, SN employs two full-time journalists, a full-time webmaster and graphic designer, and a part-time admin assistant.

Business income is made up of local advertising, half a Local Democracy

Reporter contract, some news agency work and a growing supporters' scheme.

Founder, Hans Marter, said: “Shetland News is a small but agile organisation that very much sets the news agenda in Shetland. We feel very much part of the new emerging public interest news sector run by small and fully accountable organisations. I feel there is roomful many more news organisations such as ours all over Scotland.”

www.shetnews.co.uk