Bristol-based hyperlocal news magazine firm The Voice has launched its 10th print title, just four years after its first edition.
The Voice series now hand-distributes more than 90,000 copies each month to households in the city.
And discussions are now advanced to begin an 11th magazine within the Bristol city boundary. 
The Voice owners said today that they are proving print has a sustainable future at the very local level as established newspaper groups battle tumbling circulation figures for their print titles but struggle to create profitable business models online and local general news websites also find it difficult to attract advertising.
The Voice is now eyeing up other cities to create a new series of magazines.
The Voice magazines, under the banner of Local Voice Network (localvoicenetwork.co.uk), were launched in Filton in 2011 by former Bristol Post assistant editor Richard Coulter and ex-Post advertising manager Emma Cooper.
In addition to their own publications covering Filton, Bishopston, Henleaze/Westbury and Keynsham, they have since signed up three publishers who are now producing two titles each.
Former Post production manager Gary Brindle heads up the Voice operation in Downend and Fishponds; sports commentator and journalist Richard Drew publishes in Yate and Chipping Sodbury as well as Frome Valley (Winterbourne, Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath and Iron Acton), and ex-Western Daily Press business production editor Paul Breeden has launched two titles in South Bristol.
The Voice magazines are free and monthly, with news exclusive to the particular area. Unlike many free publications, stories are written by journalists and the advertising/editorial ratio is 50:50.
“Our mission is to deliver a high quality, informative and relevant news service for distinct communities, typically with 10-15,000 residents,” said Richard.
“We do have an online presence but our experience is that for a sustainable business model, local print advertising still has the most potential. In years to come, who knows there may be a different way of doing it and we will be well placed to respond but we are not seeing any slowdown … if anything, it’s the opposite.
“The key for us is that our magazines are free and they are hand delivered to every household.
“Across the country there are successful hyperlocal magazines but in the mad rush to work out the digital conundrum, print remains profitable.”
Richard said he had attended the community journalism conference in Cardiff last year and while impressed by some of the innovation, was dismayed that the emphasis was almost entirely on digital … yet the evidence of delegates was that there is still little revenue online for news.
He said that the conference’s 35 recommendations for the future of hyperlocal news did not contain one to suggest that print may be an answer.
He said: “The last 10 years have not been easy for journalists but we are trying to prove that, in the hyperlocal sector, journalists can make a living while working in the career of their choice.
“Our model would allow a journalist to dip a toe in the water while having a portfolio of jobs or work on the magazines exclusively.
“I do not say that our model is the only one, but journalists need to get real about digital and if there is no revenue, then it is not a realistic business proposition.”
The Voice model is a licence operation – new publishers do not pay large fees to ‘join the club’ – but instead pay a monthly fee to benefit from the group’s co-operative model.
Anyone interested in Voice publications should contact Richard at Richard@filtonvoice.co.uk or Emma at emma@keynshamvoice.co.uk. They can also call 07775550607.
