Why I started the Eastbourne Reporter - and how you can help

The Eastbourne Reporter is a free-to-read independent website with original content written by me, Rebecca Maer, an experienced journalist.

It is a Community Interest Company, which means any profits would be re-invested in the business.

I interview people face-to-face where possible to explore untold stories on the East Sussex coast. I also write occasional impartial reviews.

I would like to keep the website ad-free but still generate an income. In the first five months, it has attracted nearly 5,700 readers.

So any donation via KoFi is gratefully received because funding original local journalism is notoriously difficult – people love reading it, few are willing to pay. A regular small donation would be a fantastic way to help me.

Original journalism takes time and effort to produce. It is distinct from the ‘copy-and-paste a press release’ approach which you may have seen elsewhere.

It allows you to hear about people’s lives, understand different viewpoints and paints a rounded picture of the community.

I believe strongly that journalism should essentially be for public benefit and not based on website clicks and ads sold.

The editor of the Manchester Mill, an independent news website started during lockdown, discusses here what has happened to local newspapers in the last 20 years and why local news should be built around readers, not advertisers.

Different models are being explored across the UK as journalists start news websites or newsletters by trying out membership schemes, crowdfunding, grant funding, selling some advertising or sometimes a mixture of all these ideas.

Eastbourne is a large town of 100,000 people. That means there are plenty of stories to be told and questions to be asked.

Send me your thoughts on the contact form – I’d love to hear from you.

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