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The editor of the Hedon Blog in East Yorkshire today announced it had partnered with local newspaper the Holderness Gazette, in what he described as "a common effort to promote more community news from Hedon".

In a post on the blog Ray Duffill said he "will be joining the Gazette as one of its community correspondents".

"Those who contribute stories, information and events news to us, will see the difference almost straight away – your news could possibly be carried across the whole of the Holderness area in the pages of the Gazette and reach a far wider audience."

The partnership will also open up dual advertising on both the blog and in the newspaper.

"Through our new partnership it will be possible to ensure that your local advert in the Gazette is also promoted across the world wide web as well, should you wish it," Duffill adds.

The Holderness Gazette describes itself online as "a vibrant, positive, paid-for-weekly tabloid newspaper".

Speaking to Journalism.co.uk the newspaper's editor Roy Woodcock said the 102 year-old title "enjoys a healthy relationship with its readers".

"Sales have remained very stable at a time when a lot of the industry's suffering tremendous cuts to their circulations. We feel privileged our readers value us so highly that we've managed to weather that particular storm."

He added that he has been keen to increase coverage by recruiting members of the community as correspondents for their local area.

The new partnership with Hedon Blog is part of this mission, and Woodcock said the newspaper was keen to be better represented in the town and there was a "real need to establish better coverage for Hedon".

Both the newspaper and the blog "share the common belief we want to expand the scope for people to get news out their local communities", he said.

As a result of the partnership Hedon Blog will continue, but Duffill will also be a town reporter for the newspaper in Hedon.

"It's taking the traditional idea of correspondents and just moving it forward," Woodcock added. "I think we can work together with common aims rather than see ourselves as rivals."

The newspaper currently publishes two editions. While it is "early days", Woodcock added that there is a hope that the new arrangement "will allow us to create an edition for Hedon as well", in time.

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