Key Publishers Usher In Web Devolution

Two major publishing groups are shaking up their online offerings to place a greater emphasis on local control.

Associated Northcliffe Digital, owner of the thisisbrand, is handing responsibility for its newspaper website titles to individual editors as part of a restructuring move.

The publisher has also created two new central digital divisions which will support local sites with both commercial and editorial issues.

Meanwhile, regional publisher Archant is also making changes to its digital set-up with relaunches planned for some 100 of its local websites by the middle of next year.

The name behind the 24 brand revealed that its new sites will be more focused on locality with the introduction of a geotagging system so users can organise content by place and subject, reports Press Gazette.

Stories and other content will be uploaded by existing staff within editorial departments and they will also be responsible for updating online material.

“We want to have a much higher level of consumer engagement and be able to provide blogs, feedback forums and videos - all the functionality people demand from a website today,” said Ian Davies, director of business development at Archant.

He added: “Our aim is to provide more content, greater user accessibility and interactivity and greater depth to the content that we do provide.”

For more details on these stories visit Journalism.co.uk and Press Gazette.