1.7 Million Weekly Views Proved It. Derbyshire News Launches Fully on 1st Jan 2026
An Editorial from Derbyshire News
Earlier this year, we set out with a clear aim. We wanted to see whether Derbyshire really wanted a local news service that put readers first. For two months, we tested content, formats, timing, and tone. We watched what people read, what they shared, and what they ignored. We listened carefully and kept changing things until the picture became clear.
The results spoke for themselves.
During our trial period, Derbyshire News reached more than 1.7 million views each week. Stories rooted in real communities travelled the furthest. Straightforward reporting beat clickbait. Most importantly, people stayed on the site and read, rather than being chased away by pop ups or cluttered pages.
That told us something vital. Derbyshire people do want proper local news. They want it independent. They want it readable. They want it without being interrupted every few seconds.
Advertising still has a place, and we make no apology for that. Local businesses need visibility, and we need revenue to keep the service running. What we proved during testing is that adverts work best when they sit naturally alongside relevant content. Our advertisers saw strong results because readers trusted the environment they appeared in. No greed. No tricks. Just relevance and respect.
With that confidence, we are now ready to launch Derbyshire News fully.
This is the point where we grow the team and broaden the voices behind the stories. We are looking for people who care about Derbyshire and know their subject. That could be sport, history, food, farming, business, arts, nightlife, community groups, or something entirely different. If there is a genre you feel passionate about and you think it deserves proper coverage, we want to hear from you.
Derbyshire News exists to serve the county, not to shout over it. If you want to be part of building a local news service that puts readers first and treats contributors with respect, now is the time to get involved.
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