NEWS RELEASE
VILLAGE MEDIA
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New partnership utilizes Village Media custom technology
Local XPress to relaunch online news site in Halifax using custom digital content management platform
SAULT STE. MARIE — Village Media is excited to announce a unique partnership with the Local XPress news site re-launched today in Halifax.
Through a partnership agreement, Local XPress will be using Village Media's digital content management platform that was custom developed for Village Media.
The platform was optimized specifically for the digital news world.
“This is an important partnership and launch for Village Media,” said Jeff Elgie, CEO of Village Media. “Local XPress’ launch is a testament the power of our digital platform and the flexibility we have in launching new communities quickly and effectively.”
Village Media was “born digital” with its first online news site, SooToday.com, over 15 years ago.
“We have learned from the ground up what it takes to create a successful and economically feasible online news site,” said Elgie, who noted that the company has continued to grow since its first website, launching new sites across Ontario most recently in Barrie and Guelph.
“Our growth is directly linked to our focus on local stories written by local journalists and this is a belief we share with Local XPress.”
Local XPress is completely independent from Village Media, although the partnership provides them use of the platform.
In addition to local news, the site will offer weather, events, obituaries, and a wide range of community information, as well as national news feeds.
“We wish Local XPress all the success on their new online news site,” said Elgie. “We are happy to play a small part in helping Local XPress create the quality local news Halifax deserves.”
Village Media fully owns and operates news sites in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins, Barrie and Guelph. They also have exclusive online partnerships in Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Manitoulin Island with leading publishers in each market.
Local XPress is the creation of the 57 members of the Halifax Typographical Union's newsroom unit, who have been on strike from The Chronicle Herald since January of this year. Despite being off the job, the members wanted to tell stories, take photos and dig deeper into issues that matter to Nova Scotians. The online-only news site, staffed by volunteers and funded by CWA Canada (our parent union) and the HTU, relaunched on Thursday.
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