A COMPANY that rescued two local news titles is bucking the trend and has seen huge growth in readership.
12 months ago, GGC Media bought the titles of Saddleworth Independent and The Correspondent in Tameside, promising a digital output that would bring the best stories from the areas.
With a focus on delivering quality rather than quantity, not falling into the clickbait trap, Gemma and Gary Carter have delivered hard-hitting news stories while also going beneath the surface and shining a light on all parts of the communities they serve.
And the result is a combined readership of 2,338,030 – 1,013,739 for Saddleworth and 1,324,291 for Tameside.*
Highlights of the past year include plans to make Greenfield Station fully accessible, regeneration hopes across Tameside, policing, council issues and elections.
Saddleworth Independent and The Correspondent have also brought in-depth sports features, as well as full coverage of Kevin Sinfield’s amazing fundraising challenges – with more to come.
On the first 12 months, GGC Media director Gary Carter said: “I’m not going to lie, it has been hard work.
“But that effort has been made all the more rewarding by the thanks and support we’ve had from the communities we serve.
“We felt we could deliver something the people of Saddleworth and Tameside were missing – an offering that provides the very best reporting.
“Support from businesses in both areas, putting their faith in us by advertising on our platforms, has been huge – thank you to every single one of you.
“And our readership figures have, frankly, blown us away. They more than justify our reasons for doing it.
“But we will not stop there. We will keep shining a light on the areas we serve, we will praise things that warrant praise, we will question people on matters that need questioning. We will do what is right for our readers.
“To deliver the best coverage of both Saddleworth and Tameside. The coverage they deserve.”
*Source: Google Analytics
That’s good news, (pun intended,) and obviously the result of much hard work and commitment.
The Saddleworth Independent in particular is a lively, interesting and well regarded publication which I for one read regularly and with interest and I’m delighted that the people who now edit and produce it have continued to keep viable.
Good luck with it for the future.