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Buzzfeed moves into local news by hiring new regional reporters

New regional reporters at Buzzfeed will cover Scotland, Wales and the north of England

Wednesday 23 September 2015 19:41 BST

Buzzfeed is set to hire four new reporters to cover regions around the UK (AFP/Getty)

Buzzfeed is looking to take on local and regional papers at their own game, by recruiting more regional reporters to cover the north of England, Scotland and Wales.

The ever-growing news and entertainment site is in the process of hiring 14 new staff members, including four reporters who will cover regional beats.

This will see Buzzfeed's news team in the UK increase by around half, growing to 40 people.

Although these reporters will cover wide regions, and won't have the advantage of large teams or detailed local knowledge that local papers have, the news will still worry the beleaguered publishers of local and regional titles.

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Show all 8

1/8David Cameron's biggest controversies

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Pig-gate

A book released by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft alleged that an MP and Oxford contemporary of David Cameron had allegedly seen a photograph of Mr Cameron performing a sex act on a pig while at university. Downing Street did not comment on the allegations and the peer said they could have been a case of mistaken identity

David Hartley/REX Shutterstock

David Cameron's biggest controversies

‘Swarm’ of migrants

In July 2015 David Cameron referred to refugees coming into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa as a “swarm”. He was criticised for using the language, which critics said was dehumanising

Getty

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Child tax credits

In April 2015 David Cameron was asked whether he’d cut child tax credits. “No, I don’t want to do that,” he said, saying that he rejected reports that he would. Shortly after the election the Government unveiled cuts to child tax credits

EPA

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Cycling to work

As leader of the opposition David Cameron was regularly photographed cycling to work. In early 2006 he was photographed cycling but with a driver in a car carrying his belongings. It was suggested at the time the cycling was just for show and that having two vehicles on the road instead of one was wasteful

Rex

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Andy Coulson

David Cameron employed former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as government communications director from 2010. After stepping down from the post due to coverage of the phone hacking affairs, Mr Coulson was later found guilty of conspiracy to intercept voicemails. He served a short prison sentence

AFP

David Cameron's biggest controversies

His personal windmill

Early in his leadership of the Conservative David Cameron made an effort to change the party’s image by making eco-friendly gesures. As one of these gestures, the future PM put a wind turbine on his house. However, the turbine later had to be removed after neighbours condemned it as an eyesore and the council’s planning committee said it had been put in the wrong place

Getty

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Funeral selfie

David Cameron was pictured posing for a ‘selfie’ with Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Some in the press criticised the prime minister for showing in an inappropriately low level of respect for the gravity of the occasion

AFP/Getty Images

David Cameron's biggest controversies

Eating a hotdog with a knife and fork

The Prime Minister was pictured eating a hotdog with a knife and fork in the run up to the 2015 general election. He was accused of being “posh”. “I had a very privileged upbringing... I've never tried to hide that,” he said

Reuters

The BBC made similar move recently, announcing that they would fund 100 local journalists - in a scheme that local publishers called a 'Trojan horse' scheme that would lead to the BBC monopolising local news.

In August, NBC Universal invested $200 million in Buzzfeed - bringing the total value of the company to around $1.5 billion.

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