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.

I do not reproduce PR handouts and present them as 'news'. Articles are based on research, interviewing people and showing up.

You can help for the price of a coffee just once a month here or with a one-off donation here if you believe genuine, questioning journalism is vital for this town.

Original journalism takes time and effort to produce. 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.

With your help, we can cover much more - just like newspapers used to do.