- Southport Reporter
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The Southport & Mersey Reporter Type Weekly newspaper. Format Online Newspaper Owner PBT Media Relations Ltd. Editor Patrick Trollope Founded 2000 Political alignment None Headquarters Post Office Ave, Southport Official website southportreporter.com 
Southport & Mersey Reporter July 2009.
Screenshot of site in 2006Southport Reporter is an online newspaper started by Patrick Trollope[1], is not only seen as a newspaper[2] but also as the UK's first online-only regional newspaper.[3] It is based in Southport on Merseyside, and was quickly recognised by the National Union of Journalists as well as other media groups,[4] authorities and organizations as a newspaper.[5] This recognition was due to the fact it was only run by certificated professional journalists (often the journalist held NUJ or IFJ ID/certification). As a result they had to follow and run under the rules of the UK Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice[6] and the NUJ Code of Conduct.
The virtual newspaper's name was trademarked under the UK's Trade Mark Act 1994 Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as a newspaper, on 12 February 2002 under the registration No. 2292469.[7]
Contents
Development history
The idea started when Patrick Trollope[8] decided to use unpublished news as a single page on Formby Online[9] over 1998 and 1999 after studying at Wolverhampton University.[10] By 1999 the idea had grown into a multi-page system. In 1999 the site was moved onto his photographic business website PCBT Photography.[11] The interest shown during 1999 helped the idea develop quicker, but produced bandwidth restriction problems by the end of 1999. In 2000, the site was again moved to a new temporary host location, on a newly-launched site called Southport.gb.com.[12] The increase of visitors in 2000 helped the Southport Reporter to become better established. In 2001 the section was moved again and became fully independent, hosted as SouthportReporter.com. As it was by then becoming established, it was also registered as a trademark.[13] As the website became larger, it also began to be published under the names Mersey Reporter[14] [15] and Liverpool Reporter.[16][17] By April 2002 Southport Reporter was starting to become known as Southport & Mersey Reporter,[18] due to its coverage of news from all parts of Merseyside.[19] By then they had started covering events, as far away as Manchester, with the paper covering the Manchester Commonwealth Games, on a local and international level.[20] By 2007 the paper was being used as a news resource for many international media groups, like HULIQ.[21] In 2008 the paper runs a Limited Company,[22] called PBT Media Relations Ltd.[23] Company UK. Also in 2008 the paper started to push for better rights for photographers in the UK.[24]
Future Developments
After Liverpool's run as European Capital of Culture 2008, tourism has been at an all time high in the area, so by 2009, questions with in the Merseyside's community where being asked about the cities next steps. As a result it was not surprising that Southport & Mersey Reporter[25] would be consulted on the cities future development, resulting in them becoming media partner of the 'Beyond Capital of Culture: A New Dawn for Tourism in Liverpool'[26] event. The aim now to use the paper to help development the area's image.
See also
References
- ^ NUJ
- ^ Northwest Regional Development Agency
- ^ Published in UK as the "UK's only web-based newspaper" in January 2005 in hard copy magazine called Web Pages Made Easy and on the Trade Mark Register as a newspaper Patent.gov.uk No. 2292469
- ^ Named in a 2007 report in the Preston Citizen, Prestoncitizen.co.uk. Also they are listed in the Hollis PR & Media Guide 2006. ISBN 1 904193 250 UK ISSN 1364-9000 and the Hollis PR & Media Guide 2004 and on the BBC page called "Other news sources in the Merseyside area"
- ^ The official Liverpool 08 Business 08Businessconnect.com & Commission for Rural Communities. Also see Library.ons.gov.uk & BBC News
- ^ Journalism and public trust - NUJ Ethics Council
- ^ Patent.gov.uk
- ^ "Patrick Trollope, Editor of Southport Reporter" is a contributor and referred to in a book called Viking Mersey, written by Stephen Harding. ISBN 1901231 34 8 Published by Countryvise Publication, Wirral UK in 2002.
- ^ Formby-Online.co.uk
- ^ Published in UK as the "UK's only web-based newspaper" in January 2005 in hard copy magazine called Web Pages Made Easy.
- ^ PCBtphotography.co.uk
- ^ Southport.gb.com
- ^ Published in UK as the "UK's only web-based newspaper" in January 2005 in a hard copy magazine called Web Pages Made Easy.
- ^ RJMF.co.uk Rhys Jones Memorial Fund
- ^ UK Office's 2007 MEP press briefing.
- ^ Y2u.co.uk
- ^ Legal Down Load
- ^ Youtube.com
- ^ MerseyWorld.com
- ^ Imágenes de Nicola Willis - Link from URL to report about Manchester Commonwealth Games
- ^ Huliq.com - A report where Southport Reporter is quoted as Source. Submitted by admin_huliq on Sat, 2007-11-17 22:33.
- ^ Mersey Reporter Home Page - section "Who are we...?"
- ^ Companies House
- ^ Huliq.com, BFP Campaign For Photographers
- ^ BA Festival of Science - site show 08 link to the paper.
- ^ Events Force
External links
Categories:- Weekly newspapers published in the United Kingdom
- Newspapers published in Merseyside
- Publications established in 2001
- Digital newspapers published in Europe
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