66. Mill Media Co

Founder: Joshi Herrmann
Year founded: 2021
Website: millmediaco.uk

Local journalism is on the decline in the UK. As more of us access news through social media, over 320 local titles closed across the country between 2009 and 2019. And, staffing and funding business issues caused by COVID-19 have weakened the industry further.

This isn’t just a tragedy for local news teams. It’s a blow to readers looking for reliable information about what’s happening where they live. But, where does this leave those who prioritise high-quality, community-led articles over the infinite scroll? 

Founded in 2020 by Joshi Herrmann, Mill Media Co is a grassroots media company on a mission to feed the public’s appetite for quality local news. The idea first came to Herrmann after he saw Substack users pay for low volumes of quality, well-executed news stories – and it snowballed from there. 

Mill Media Co creates long-form, nuanced stories that are written to the same standard as global news. But, unlike traditional local news channels, the publisher is funded by subscribers instead of advertisers, affording its readers a completely ad-free experience.

Herrmann’s vision is catching speed fast. In its short three-year history, Mill Media Co has already built a presence in three cities – Sheffield, Liverpool, and Manchester. It’s also attracted a loyal following of over 70,000 email subscribers and 5,000 paying members. 

Its commitment to original reporting and successful paywall funding model isn’t going unnoticed by the industry, either. The company has already won several journalism awards and secured seed funding from some of the biggest names in media, including Sir Mark Thompson, the former director of the BBC and CEO of the New York Times.

Despite Mill Media Co’s modest team size, the sky appears to be its limit. After recently being valued at £1.75 million, the publisher is firmly setting its gaze on expansion – aspiring to be the number one quality local media brand in the UK, with branches in over a dozen cities within the next five years.

If Mill Media Co’s impressive track record is anything to go by, its next steps are definitely something you’ll want to read all about.