Mill Media

A UK local news publisher behind The Manchester Mill, The Londoner and sister titles, funded mainly by readers through email newsletters.

About Mill Media

Mill Media is a UK local news company that publishes reader-funded journalism, mainly as email newsletters. It began with The Manchester Mill and grew to include other city titles such as Liverpool Post, Sheffield Tribune and, in 2024, The Londoner. It reports on local crime, culture, business, politics and ideas. Members get extra weekly stories, including interviews, long reads and podcasts, and a members-only community with discussions. The Mill's example stories have covered Manchester, Bolton, Rochdale and Salford, and the company has talked about adding video and podcasts.

The founder, Joshi Herrmann, said The Mill wants to be funded by readers rather than advertisers, to put quality above clicks, and to help rebuild local journalism, which it calls 'the fightback'. It says it will not cover celebrities or viral internet stories and will not republish press releases. Members are described as 'founding partners' who help pay for investigations and reporters.

The Mill launched in Manchester in June 2020 during lockdown. Sister titles serve Liverpool and Sheffield, and press reports say the group also publishes in Birmingham. The Londoner launched in October 2024 with three full-time reporters and a freelance budget. The Mill's story page points to Manchester's press history, from the Manchester Guardian in 1821 to an early local newsletter in 1719.

The teams are small. In 2022 The Mill had Herrmann, a couple of full-time reporters and a part-time editor, with staff including senior editor Sophie Atkinson and staff writers Jack Dulhanty and Mollie Simpson. Recent bylines also include Lucy McLaughlin, Alec Herron and Mike Emmerich. Herrmann had previously written for The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, the Evening Standard and The Spectator. The company presents itself as thoughtful, trustworthy and community-minded, which are its own claims. Herrmann invites story tips and CVs from freelancers and journalists.

Jobs at a company like this include local reporters, editors, newsletter and audience producers, podcast and video staff, membership and subscriptions staff, and commercial support. The head office address was not found, and its careers page was not read, so check its website for details.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Reader-funded local news for Greater Manchester.', 'title': 'The Manchester Mill'}
• {'desc': 'Newsletter-style London news launched October 2024.', 'title': 'The Londoner'}
• {'desc': 'Liverpool Post, Sheffield Tribune and others.', 'title': 'Sister city titles'}

Key facts

• The Mill launched June 2020 by Joshi Herrmann (The Mill)
• The Londoner launched October 2024 with three full-time reporters (Press Gazette)
• Titles in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and London (Press Gazette)
• Funded by reader memberships, no reliance on advertising (The Mill)

Website: manchestermill.co.uk