John Baron Email and Phone Number

Working with national, regional and independent community media to develop and help launch Ping News, an intuitive platform for both hyperlocal journalists and national media organisations to provide greater transparency and decentralised revenues within journalism.

Founder and editor of community news website westleedsdispatch.com, responsible for writing and curating local news content and opinions and running team of volunteers. Also responsible for social media. Trustee at parent company West Leeds Community Media.

Responsible for leading marketing and communications at community-led social enterprise Bramley Baths. Duties include social media, design, running website, internal and external comms, writing press releases, creating booklets and promotional materials, running creative events and community engagement

Lecturer on Journalism and Digital Media (BA Hons) course at Hull School of Art and Design. I teach a wide variety of subjects ranging from the latest digital storytelling techniques and writing for the web. I also teach online tools including infographics and data journalism, immersive journalism, community engagement and social media. I also lecture on journalism theory, including communications theory, semiotics and propaganda. I also teach shorthand, which I still believe to… Show more Lecturer on Journalism and Digital Media (BA Hons) course at Hull School of Art and Design. I teach a wide variety of subjects ranging from the latest digital storytelling techniques and writing for the web. I also teach online tools including infographics and data journalism, immersive journalism, community engagement and social media. I also lecture on journalism theory, including communications theory, semiotics and propaganda. I also teach shorthand, which I still believe to be an incredibly important journalistic tool. I also help to run practical newsdays and take a lead role in the students' hyperlocal news website, Hull Central. Show less

Community Information Officer at Health For All, producing community blogs, writing and designing magazines, booklets and running community reporters' schemes for disenfranchised communities. Also project manager, writing and designing print publicity material, running social media accounts, issuing press releases and implementing PR strategy.I also helped set up Wordpress blogs for local projects and organisations. Part-time position three days a week.

Beatblogger for the Guardian's experimental Local project, covering Leeds. As the Guardian Leeds beatblogger my job was to create a network around a local community of readers. Daily tasks included writing blogposts on news, information, culture and comment to create a vital website for Leeds residents. I focused extensively on council accountability, community activism and local campaigns.Posts included audio, video and picture content created, edited and uploaded by… Show more Beatblogger for the Guardian's experimental Local project, covering Leeds. As the Guardian Leeds beatblogger my job was to create a network around a local community of readers. Daily tasks included writing blogposts on news, information, culture and comment to create a vital website for Leeds residents. I focused extensively on council accountability, community activism and local campaigns.Posts included audio, video and picture content created, edited and uploaded by me. I also developed a network of guest bloggers and ran social media output, crowdsourcing content and connecting bloggers. I also built and nurtured our community offline through WePublish meet-ups, Leeds Social Media Surgeries and establishing Leeds Community News Hub in partnership with Leeds Trinity University.The beatblogger role included sourcing and analysing data for information-heavy blogposts and campaigning for open data in local government. I was also an advocate for hyperlocal publishers, speaking regularly at events and appearing fortnightly on BBC Radio Leeds 'what the papers say' slot. I also contributed extensively to the Guardian's Northerner blog between 2011 and 2014. Show less

Travelling country and training journalists, sub-editors and editors on new ATEX content management system. Job included showing people how to use new technology but also how to incorporate new workflow systems into newsroom.

Responsible for helping to manage team of sub editors, with production responsibilities for wide range of weekly publications at Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Groups. Publications included newspapers and magazines. Experienced at new product launches/relaunches.Web editor responsibilities for Wakefield Express included training, being a web evangelist, developing website and new online initiatives, uploading content, moderating comments and ensuring the site was accurate and up to… Show more Responsible for helping to manage team of sub editors, with production responsibilities for wide range of weekly publications at Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Groups. Publications included newspapers and magazines. Experienced at new product launches/relaunches.Web editor responsibilities for Wakefield Express included training, being a web evangelist, developing website and new online initiatives, uploading content, moderating comments and ensuring the site was accurate and up to date.My time at Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group also included seven months as acting Deputy Editor at the Reporter Series of newspapers based in Dewsbury. Show less

Reporter covering full range of news, features and instigating campaigns at Leeds Weekly News - 1994-1999;Senior reporter and latterly sub-editor at Wharfedale Newspapers, responsible for subbing broadsheet pages and editing entertainments page.