Shropshire Star trials new ways of spreading information
New ways of providing public notice information to local people are being trialled in an innovative pilot project involving the Shropshire Star and Telford & Wrekin Council.
A mix of advertising, website publishing and social media will be used to make more people aware of local information.
And if people can formally give their views on an issue, this will also highlight ways this can be done.
Results from the pilot will be shared with the Government to help shape plans on how councils and other public organisations publish the information in the future.
Councils have a legal obligation to print public notices on issues including planning, alcohol licences and traffic orders in local newspapers.
As the use of digital technology grows the Government has given the go-ahead for the Midland News Association title, along with its sister titles the Telford Journal and the Newport Advertiser, to try new platforms.
Under the trial, at no additional cost to council taxpayers, Telford & Wrekin's public notices will appear on Shropshirestar.com, supported by web advertising, and be shared across social media including Twitter. They will continue to appear in the newspapers, both daily and weekly, supported by in-print advertising.
Throughout the activity, local people will be encouraged to give their views, formally in written responses if this applies to the notice in question, or through more up-to-date ways like web comments or Tweets.
Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said: "The Shropshire Star has been the leading provider of local news and information for more than 50 years so we are delighted to trial new ways of communicating in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council."
