We’re announcing some big changes at Rye News this week. A new website launches soon and it’s farewell to three people who’ve worked so hard to make the paper what it is today, says Peter Connock, the chair of the charity that runs Rye News.
Rye News owes a huge thank you to three people above anything else. Editor James Stewart and deputy editor Juliet Duff are stepping down after two and a half years at the helm, during which they took the paper to new heights. Chief reporter Kt Bruce, whose photographs and articles have supported Rye News indefatigably for 12 years is also stepping back.
James, Juliet and Kt have all been an integral part of Rye News for many years. The last three years has been a time of change, with their strong editorial leadership and numerous articles taking the paper to a new level, respected and valued by our readers far and wide. We all owe them a big thank you!
It’s a new chapter in more ways than more. With many local newspapers closing for good, volunteer-run community papers like Rye News must adapt to a new way of operating, with a redesigned editorial structure designed to ease the workload on the volunteers who keep the paper going.
We’re also investing in a new publishing platform, bringing us to the forefront of current techniques while trying to reduce costs. In addition, we will be cautiously using some AI tools, helping us to better monitor story opportunities and ease the load on the sub-editing team who check and approve every article before it’s published.
Our current website will stop publishing new stories after 18 September while we move onto the new platform – a switch likely to mean a short pause while everything is tested and we ensure that it is working properly. We’re aiming to keep that as brief as we can, then restart slowly and deliberately, building back up to the flow of articles.
You’ll notice some changes in how the paper looks and reads; we hope you’ll like them, and we’re always open to your thoughts as we keep developing.
At the same time as demonstrating great success, it also became clear that we cannot rely solely on talented individuals, working intensively on an entirely voluntary basis. The introduction of a new editorial system, supported by the latest technology, will ensure that Rye News has a long-term future as a volunteer-run newspaper serving our community.
But we need your help too.
Bringing Rye News to you each week would not be possible without a continuous flow of articles from our contributors and readers. The
new system will make it easier for anyone to submit a story on any subject of community interest. Join our contributor team, or simply use Submit a Story to send in articles or opinions, and Submit an Event to let us know what’s happening locally for our What’s On listings.
Our recent appeal for new volunteers has found some brilliant local people, some have already started writing for us! Rye News is a unique community resource and you control its content – there’s no paper without a vibrant base of contributors reporting on everything of interest to Rye and the surrounding villages. If you’d like to join the team, email info@ryenews.org.uk.
During the changes the best way to keep up with what’s happening, including when the new site goes live, is to sign up to our alert email on the Rye News website. We’ll use it to update you on progress, let you know when we’re back, and share how the new process is working out.
Thank you to everyone who reads, contributes to, and supports Rye News. It will still be a paper that genuinely belongs to Rye and we’re looking forward to what comes next.
Image Credits: KT Bruce , Natasha Robinson .