NEWSNews Corp launches The Newcastle News, the next title in its digital-only masthead strategyAugust 19, 2019 2:44
by HANNAH BLACKISTON
After launching four digital-only mastheads since September 2018, News Corp is continuing to push towards its goal of 17 titles by the end of the year with the launch of The Newcastle News.

Amy Ziniak will be the lead journalist on the title, having lived in the region for more than 12 years, reporting across TV, radio and digital.

Ziniak at Nobby’s Beach. Picture by Peter Lorimer

The publisher is throwing its weight behind the digital-only strategy, particularly in regional areas where News Corp may not have previously been active, which sees a journalist set up in their local region and report on matters specific to that area, including crime, property, health and local politics. Subscribers to the masthead then have access to the full range of journalism from the Daily Telegraph, which News Local publisher John McGourty hopes will provide them with the value they want in a news subscription. Subscribers also get access to +Rewards, News Corp’s exclusive rewards and benefits site for members.

“The Newcastle region has been a gap for us, and it has long been our ambition to bring our brand of high-quality local news to the local community, by writing the sorts of stories that reflect their everyday lives, ambitions and concerns,” said McGourty.

“Our story selection will be based on feedback from our army of community readers who tell us what matters most to them. I’m confident our new readers in Newcastle will enjoy a new voice in their community.”

News Corp has so far launched in Wollongong, Canberra, St George and revamped its offering in Central Sydney, closing the print publication in favour of the digital-only subscription model. News Corp is currently eyeing up other parts of New South Wales where it hasn’t previously had a presence for its next title.

Launch edition stories in The Newcastle News include rugby league legend Matty Johns picking his Top 20 Newcastle Knights of all time; the story of a local 15-year old football player and her Jets fairytale following a road accident which almost left her crippled; Newcastle’s love of music festivals which reveals a rise in the local drug culture; confessions of an Uber driver sharing stories about late-night harassment, intimidation and assaults; and a story on police and teens working together to drive down gang violence and youth crime in a pioneering new project.

The Mumbrella Publish conference on September 19 will feature News Corp’s general manager of digital consumer revenue, Brendan Collogan in a session titled ‘What is the value of a reader? The art of attracting and engaging loyal audiences’. Tickets are available here.