Southport Reporter

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Please improve this article if you can. (October 2007)

Screenshot of site in 2004.

Southport Reporter, an online newspaper started by Patrick Trollope BA(Hons) LBPPA^[1], is seen as the UK's first online-only regional newspaper.^[2] It was quickly recognized by the National Union of Journalists as well as other media groups,^[3] authorities and organizations as a newspaper.^[4] This recognition was due to the fact it was only run by certificated professional journalists (often the journalist held NUJ or IFJ ID/certification). As a result they had to follow and run under the rules of the UK Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice^[5] and the NUJ Code of Conduct.

The virtual newspaper's name was trademarked under the UK's Trade Mark Act 1994 Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as a newspaper, on 12 February 2002 under the registration No. 2292469.

1 Development history
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Development history

Screenshot of site in 2006.

The idea started when Patrick Trollope^[6] decided to use unpublished news as a single page on Formby Online over 1998 and 1999.^[7] By 1999 it had grown into a multi-page section and the name was by then being developed by Patrick Trollope. In 1999 the pages were moved fully by Patrick Trollope onto PCBT Photography, his business website. The interest shown in the multi-page section during 1999 helped the site develop quicker than expected and made it hard to keep the bandwidth down. The result was that the pages had to move yet again to a new temporary host location in 2000 on a newly-launched site called SGB.

The increase of visitors in 2000 helped the Southport Reporter to become more established and led to the name being registered both as a URL and as trademark. By 2001 the site became fully established as an independently hosted site known as SouthportReporter.com. As the site became bigger it also began to be published under the names Mersey Reporter^[8] and Liverpool Reporter.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ LBPPA=Licentiate of the British Professional Photographers Associates: see SWWP & BPPA
^ Published in UK as the "UK's only web-based newspaper" in January 2005 in hard copy magazine called "Web Pages Made Easy." and on the Trade Mark Register as a newspaper patent.gov.uk No. 2292469
^ Named in a 2007 report in the Preston Citizen Also they are listed in the Hollis PR & Media Guide 2006. - ISBN 1 904193 250 UK ISSN 1364-9000 and the Hollis PR & Media Guide 2004 Also on BBC page called "Other news sources in the Merseyside area"
^ An example of who has recognised them can be seen on the official Liverpool 08 Business group newspage. See 08Business ConnectReport. The site is owned by the European Capital Of Culture group, The Liverpool Culture Company.
^ JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC TRUST - NUJ Ethics Council
^ "Patrick Trollope, Editor of Southport Reporter" is a contributor and referred to in a book called Viking Mersey, written by Stephen Harding. ISBN 1901231 34 8 Published by Countryvise Publication, Wirral UK in 2002.
^ Published in UK as the "UK's only web-based newspaper" in January 2005 in hard copy magazine called Web Pages Made Easy.
^ UK Office's 2007 MEP press briefing.

Mondo Times. - Launch date: 11 December 2001. This is the worldwide media guide, providing fast access to newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations and news agencies worldwide. Southport Reporter is listed on it as a newspaper.
Rick Vaughn, a Southport based radio presenter. 01 November 2002.
Ocean Colour Scene, a UK pop band. Interview with band member Simon in 2003.
North West Newspaper and News Media Guide - Again recognized and linked to as a newspaper on this site.
WebWorks - This site is an online newsagent site and lists Southport Reporter as a newspaper.
Virtual-Lancaster - This site is independent of large media corporations or any official bodies. Wholly owned and operated by community members. It has had its URL linked to Southport Reporter since 2004.
IMDB - TV presenter Jonathan Thompson’s portfolio on the IMDb database contains images and references to Southport Reporter in 2006.