New Bedford news business to fill journalist 'void'

Bedford used to have two weekly newspapers but now only has one

A new independent news service has started in a town where two local papers have closed in less than a year.

The Bedford Independent will be mostly online, but will also share content on social media and look at doing a small print run in the future.

Managing editor Paul Hutchinson, one of three members of staff, says it will not just be "churnalism" which "copies and pastes" press releases.

A former newspaper editor said it was a difficult time to start the venture.

Paul Hutchinson, a trained journalist, was the former deputy editor of Chiltern FM in Bedford and is now the managing editor of The Bedford Independent

Mr Hutchinson said the news service, which is backed by private investors, will cover the Bedford borough area and be funded by advertising.

It will be regulated by Impress, a media regulator, with the aim "to set up a news desk that will fill the void in the town that has been there for some time" and "investigate news", he said.

Bedford currently only has one local weekly newspaper, The Times and Citizen, after The Bedfordshire On Sunday closed in October 2017. It was replaced by Bedfordshire Midweek, but that finished in June.

Bedfordshire Midweek published its last edition on 27 June and was available online and in print form

Steve Lowe, the former editor of the Bedfordshire On Sunday, said it was a tough time to launch any new print or online news format.

"All the money goes to major companies now, so the difficulties lie in getting the advertising money," he said.

Mr Hutchinson said: "We won't just copy and paste what is sent to us. We will see what the true story is and not just do churnalism."

"We owe it to the people of Bedford that our local authority is held to account."