HAILSHAM has one of the best independent community newspapers in the country, according to The Newspaper Awards.
Regional Media Group, the publishers of Hailsham News was shortlisted for a national award to recognise excellence in the news print industry – it was up against seven other titles at the awards ceremony recently.
At a prestigious awards night at The Hilton, on the Southbank in London on 28th March, Hailsham News was shortlisted as ‘Independent Community Newspaper of the Year’.
During the evening, the audience heard from Alan Dedicoat, the voice of the National Lottery balls, that “Hailsham News is a good-looking and well produced ‘newsy’ publication with its sister title Bexhill News, the newspaper prints 10,000 copies a month on a bright stock that fly off the shelves in just 10 days.”
Director of the publishing group, and creator of Hailsham News, Paul Gibson commented: “This is such an amazing thing to happen for Hailsham. Who’d thought just 18 months ago we’d have one the best free newspapers in the country?”
He added: “This is a massive nod to all the hard work we’ve put into making sure the town is kept informed with the latest information, news, sport and features. It wouldn’t have been possible without the huge support we’ve had from readers, contributors, and of course the advertisers who ensure the newspaper remains free for people to pick-up.”
Hailsham News was up against some stiff competition in the finals such as the Enfield Dispatch, Hackney Citizen, The Ambler, The Bristol Cable, The Peckham Peculiar, Wells Voice and West Leeds Dispatch. The Peckham Peculiar, the reigning champions, took the award once again.
All of these publications have been in circulation for many years, so Hailsham News has been commended for reaching this level in a relatively short amount of time.
Gary Cullum, director of Newspaper Awards, said: “Newspaper print is in decline, that is an undeniable fact. However, the printed newspaper remains integral to the success and profitability of the news media industry. Printed newspapers will evolve for many years to come and will continue to be published alongside their digital counterparts.
“The Newspaper Awards focus on production and innovation in national, international, regional, weekly and hyperlocal newspapers. It recognises the skill and expertise of all the employees involved in producing the printed publication.”
The 2023 Newspaper Awards focuses entirely on recognising excellence in the printed newspaper.
In 2022, the company launched its second publication in Bexhill which now has a circulation of 12,000 copies every month. Regional Media Group now has a team of four full-time staff working in the company and has plans to launch its third newspaper in Sussex around September this year.
The company is also making waves online with five popular news websites attracting thousands of impressions each month.
Gibson concluded: “This recognition gives us a real boost to do, what we do, even better. Our expansion this year is likely to see the business double in size which in turn creates local employment opportunities, and in turn, gives communities in Sussex the local news they’ve been missing for many years.
