Luke, working with Senior Editor Rebecca Smith, will be heading the teams for the Canterbury Times, Maidstone and Medway News and Ashford Herald websites, targeting significant growth in audience use and engagement as well as exploring creative ways in which to reflect back the successes of online content into print.
Luke joins KRNM from the sister division of the Essex Chronicle Media Group where he has excelled in the role of digital publisher for the Essex Chronicle and Brentwood Gazette since March 2013. Prior to this he worked for Archant London initially as reporter, then chief reporter and web editor at local papers in London and Surrey.
During his time in Essex, the sites have enjoyed huge audience growth and Luke has been pivotal in building the group’s social media presence, says Local World. The Essex Chronicle’s site has this year been shortlisted in the Website of the Year category at the 2014 EDF East of England Media Awards.
Managing Director of the South East businesses for Local World, Richard Karn commented: “Luke has worked closely with the editorial team in Essex to ensure that digital publishing is at the heart of our overall service to readers in the county. We are delighted to be able to provide him with a new challenge to develop his career and an opportunity to shape our future portfolio across Kent. We wish him well for the future and the challenge of building on the solid platform he has created in Essex and Hertfordshire is now under way.”
Luke will take up his new role on 2 February.
