Fitzrovia News

The Fitzrovia News is a free community newspaper produced by volunteers living and working in Fitzrovia, London, United Kingdom. It is an example of what has been called hyperlocal media or community journalism.[1] It is notable because it is "one of the country's oldest community newspapers".[2]

Fitzrovia News
Fitzrovia News front page from March 2014
TypeQuarterly newspaper
FormatFreesheet
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0967-1404
Websitehttps://fitzrovianews.com

It is a non-profit news media published by the Fitzrovia Community Newspaper Group, with support from central London charity the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association as part of its charitable work.[3][4]

The Fitzrovia News was originally called The Tower and was started by a group of community activists in April 1973 in response to threats to their neighbourhood from building developers and the loss of housing. The name Tower was a reference to the Post Office Tower now the BT Tower which stands near the geographic heart of the neighbourhood. The Tower was produced from the flat of Judith Thomas, a local resident. The paper was renamed Fitzrovia News in 1980 when it was produced by the Fitzrovia Community Newspaper Group from the recently established Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre.[5]

The printed paper is produced four times a year. It is left at distribution points in the London neighbourhood of Fitzrovia. The website is updated more frequently and the editors produce a monthly email newsletter to subscribers. Like many hyperlocal media, the Fitzrovia News makes extensive use of freely available digital media: blog software WordPress and social media Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.[6]

Fitzrovia News covers all aspects of life in Fitzrovia with news and features about housing, business, environment, people, events, history and culture.[7] "It has pursued stories about the impact of rising property prices and local hospital workers losing their homes, and submitted freedom of information requests to the local council." [8]

Until April 2020 the newspaper was led by editor Mike Pentelow, an author and former trade union journalist.[9][10][11]


References
  1. Sagar, Reuben. "Hyperlocal Content, Who Writes It?". Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. Williams, Rhys, "Making fun - and a name: Politically divided but united cartographically, Fitzrovia is much in fashion. Rhys Williams takes a tour", The Independent, London, 5 July 1994.
  3. "Charitable status for journalism proceeds by one case at a time", by Sam Burne James. Third Sector 31 July 2014 accessed 5 July 2015
  4. "About Fitzrovia News", Fitzrovia News accessed 5 September 2020
  5. Pentelow, Mike & Rowe, Marsha, Characters of Fitzrovia, Felix Dennis, 2001, p. 29
  6. About Fitzrovia News accessed 5 September 2020
  7. About Fitzrovia News accessed 5 September 2020
  8. Can charity save the local press? by Roy Greenslade and Steven Barnett, accessed 5 September 2020
  9. Mike Pentelow obituary accessed 5 September 2020
  10. accessed 5 September 2020
  11. Mavericks, misfits, murderers and manslaughterers. By DJ Taylor, The Independent, 7 January 2002, accessed 21 February 2011
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