The Hastings Examiner (Hex) is an attempt at proper community journalism. See more in our mission statement.
Cross-platform
Hex can operate across any and all platforms, online and in print, adapting content and medium to suit the information we want to communicate and the audience we want to communicate to.
Hyperlocal
Hex focusses on a relatively small geographical area and cultural identity – Hastings Borough – and within that still more localised communities such as Ore, Old Town, Hollington and St Leonards.
Community-organised
Community journalism involves newswriters proactively engaging with local issues and local voices, and yes, Hex is all about that – but we’re going one step further. We’re using community organising to develop a news source that is genuinely run by the community. While most newspapers gather information, and then consider it their special skill to present that information to the general public, Hex is more of a tool: a means for people to gather their own information and share it among the community.
Activist
Information does not exist in a vacuum. Everything we know, we know because it connects to dozens of other things. Legacy media tend to think that printing an article about an important issue of the day is enough, and often dead end the issue as soon as the article has gone to print. Hex will not abandon an issue as soon as we report on it. We keep investigating, we put readers in touch with local groups and activists, we will push endlessly for the town’s problems to reach resolution.
Want to get involved?
Hex sees Hastings as a network of interlinked communities which share a large number of fundamental interests. Generally we are encouraged to see each other as working separately, or through the good will of our elected leaders. Hex would have us act collectively, as a community.
If any of this appeals to you, if you’d like to join us, write an article or otherwise contribute, email: info@hastings-examiner.uk