Belfast Live, the Reach-owned website which was named Best Regional News Site at The Drum Online Media Awards this year, is rolling out a number of new regional sub-brands including MyDerry, MyFermanagh and MyTyrone.
The local sites will exist on the main Belfast Live platform and have their own separate social channels across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram creating hyperlocal news environments within the Northern Ireland-wide news brand.
Each county brand will focus on breaking news, local features and ‘what’s on’ content unique to that respective area, with an investment by Reach, the publisher of Belfast Live, in reporters to cover stories on the ground in these areas.
According to Belfast Live editor Ryan Smith: “We’re delighted to be expanding our website and bringing our style of journalism to the people of Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone. In just six years, Belfast Live has grown to be the most-read commercial news publisher in Northern Ireland and this is part of our plans to extend our reach at a local level in areas across the country. It’s no secret the challenges that regional media has faced in the last decade but to be able to invest in journalism locally in Northern Ireland is a real vote of confidence in what we’re trying to do. The reaction to the ‘My’ county launches from new and existing readers has been overwhelmingly positive with thousands following our new social channels in just 24 hours and we’re very excited about where we can take these brands.”
