Dearest readers — we’ve done it. We’ve gone all the way. With just two days to spare, 500 of you have swung behind our plan. Late last night, a man called Tom made a momentous decision and became our 500th supporter. My emotions right now are elation, shock, and delight.
I honestly didn’t know if this would work. It felt like a big throw of the dice. The nightmare I had in the run up was that we’d be met, not with hostility, but just an indifferent shrug. As the campaign went on, sometimes the total number of pledges would stop growing, and I’d think that this was it, that we’d hit our ceiling.
I shouldn’t have fretted. In the last few weeks I’ve spoken to dozens of very different people here about our launch. People like Aliza Kayan-Ahmed, a journalism student, who told me she’d love to see a new local paper with time to invest properly in stories. People like Tony Harcup, a veteran of the Leeds Other Paper, who wants to see the glorious return of alternative local news. People like the leader and chief executive of Leeds city council, who told me they recognise how important local journalism is for democracy, and that they welcome the extra scrutiny.
There’s a common theme — lots of people agreeing that something new is needed in the local journalism scene. There’s a hunger; so much so that 500 people have been willing to put up a bit of money to help us launch.
I wanted to thank you for pledging. And I also wanted to thank you for spreading the word. I know lots of you have spoken to friends and family, and that’s made such a big difference. We just couldn’t have done it otherwise.
So what happens now? We’ve been holding off on various decisions until we knew this was definitely a goer. Now, we’ve got to take them. On Monday we’ll put out a formal job ad (I’ve been speaking to lots of keen journalists already) and we’ll get the ball rolling on appointing a small team. We need a name, and then to properly build our website. And finally, we’ll need to find a little office where the magic can happen.
Any help on any of the above is gratefully received. You can reach my e-mail here. I’d also love to hear more about you, why you’ve pledged, and if there’s anything — good or bad — you’d like us to report on.
We’ve pencilled in the start of May for an official launch. That depends on a few things coming together but it’s what we’re aiming for. Over the next six weeks, we’ll put out a few stories, roughly once a week, while we get things ready in the background. We won’t take any of your money until we officially launch — the next few weeks are on us.
Until then, thank you again. You’ve spoken up for a new newspaper right here. We can’t wait to get cracking.
