Leeds is poised to gain a new player in local journalism as Mill Media seeks subscriber commitments before launching its latest city-focused outlet. The company, known for its successful titles The Bell in Glasgow and The Londoner, is gauging interest in West Yorkshire to ensure viability, with founder Timms emphasizing subscriptions as the path to sustainability.
“We think any sustainable future for local journalism is via paid subscriptions. We want to know that there are enough people in Leeds or the wider West Yorkshire region who are willing to support us to make it happen,” Timms told Press Gazette. No team has been hired yet, but the outlet is expected to launch with two full-time staff members.
Following the model of its previous launches, the Leeds edition will initially offer stories free to read to build awareness among city residents before introducing a paywall. Leeds was chosen for its wealth of untold stories, according to Timms. “We’ve always thought it would be a great city for us, it’s a fascinating place,” he said, highlighting “loads of stories that we think should be told.”
The move comes amid a stark decline in local news coverage in the region. “There are fewer than 100 journalists covering the whole of West Yorkshire these days, including roughly 15 covering Leeds at the Yorkshire Evening Post, a fraction of its former strength,” Timms noted on the site’s new page.
The new title will enter a competitive landscape that includes the Yorkshire Post, owned by Iconic (formerly National World), as well as Reach’s Leeds Live and Yorkshire Live. Timms believes Mill Media’s approach will differentiate it: “Other people are covering the city, but we hope that our style will add something to the mix. We do more long-form pieces, more investigations, that kind of thing. And we think that’ll be really pretty good addition.”
By prioritizing subscriber sign-ups upfront, Mill Media aims to secure a foundation for long-term operations in Leeds, addressing the challenges facing regional journalism while promising deeper reporting for the area.
