Coming soon in 2021: Barnet Post
Editor Bella Saltiel on the online launch of Social Spider CIC’s fifth local title
We’re excited to announce that Social Spider CIC, is launching a new free, independent, community news publication covering the London Borough of Barnet early next year.
Barnet Post will launch online in February, initially publishing at least four new articles per week on the Barnet Post website and weekly newsletter. Barnet Post will be a not-for-profit publication, written by and for local people: giving readers the chance to learn more about what is going on in their area and to read (and write) stories about what matters to them.
It will hold power to account, promote the work of local community organisations and voluntary groups, and provide a platform for local people to raise important issues. Barnet Post is Social Spider CIC’s fifth local news publication. We launched our first newspaper, Waltham Forest Echo in 2014 as part of a consortium of local voluntary sector organisations. Since then we have launched Tottenham Community Press (2016), Enfield Dispatch (2018) and EC1 Echo (2019).
These publications operate on a sustainable, not-for-profit model funded primarily through local advertising supplemented by donations through local membership schemes. Any surplus generated is reinvested in improving the publications through additional pages, increased distribution or increased editorial budgets.
Expanding further across London into Barnet is an exciting opportunity at an important time for local news. Local journalism is a vital part of democratic societies and Barnet is an area that is currently underserved by local news publishers. Barnet Post will be an inclusive platform aiming to reflect the diversity of the borough and support local communities to tell their own stories.
If you’re interested in writing for Barnet Post — or just want to find out more about what we’re working on - I would love to hear from you.
If you have any stories about Barnet, no matter how big or small, please contact me at bella at socialspider dot com to discuss your idea.
