Regular readers of my blog will know that I occasionally depart from my PR brief and blog about collocation in London and Northumberland, my family, chickens and rural issues. I am delighted to report that I now have a more sophisticated channel.

I’m onboard as a community correspondent on the Your Place project in the North East developed by the Trinity Mirror-owned Newcastle Journal. It’s created a network of 22-regional micro sites each of which are fed with content by local bloggers.

As a contributor I’ve been provided with a set of content guidelines and invited to post local news and information.

Northumberland editor Graeme Whitfield provides a light editorial touch and readers are encouraged to comment on posts and submit their own content.

Each micro-site each carries sponsored links, local ads and Google ads. It’s a smart model that returns regional media to its grassroots embedded within communities.

Could the Journal founded in 1852 be developing the new model for regional media?