Ten Years of the Totnes Pulse: A Decade of Hyper‑Local Journalism

I’ve just paid one of our more expensive annual bills. This time of the year is particularly financially hard-hitting with costs such as internet hosting because it’s when we set up the whole project. Ten years ago, the Totnes Pulse began as a simple idea: a place where local people could find reliable information about what was happening in the town. A decade later, it seems to have become one of the most distinctive voices in the locality — a community‑run project shaped not by distant owners or corporate agendas, but by the people who live here.

2016: A Campaign Sparks a Platform

The Pulse’s roots lie in the successful 2016 campaign to protect Totnes Civic Square from redevelopment. Mark El‑Khadi created a website to share updates, documents and calls to action. At the same time, Peter Shearn was independently wondering how to create an online events listing to help residents navigate the town’s remarkably busy cultural calendar.

The two projects converged naturally over a pint in the Waterside. The Civic Square campaign needed visibility; the events listing needed a home. Together, they became the Totnes Pulse.

2017–2019: Very Slow Growth, Steady Purpose

For the next few years, the Pulse ticked along quietly. Listings were updated, local stories appeared when contributors had time, and the site built a modest but loyal readership. It was run entirely by volunteers, without funding (other than Peter and Mark), office space or formal structure — a grass-roots project in the truest sense. But even in this early phase, the Pulse had a clear identity: factual, community‑minded, and determined to challenge decisions that affected the town.

2020: The Pandemic Changes Everything

When Covid‑19 arrived, the Pulse’s role shifted dramatically. We had no events to list for a start! National coverage of the crisis was chaotic; local information was often unclear. The Pulse stepped into a gap, publishing clear, science‑based updates with commentary from a highly qualified local scientist.

Traffic surged far beyond Totnes. For many residents and people much further afield, the Pulse became a trusted source during a frightening and confusing time. It was the moment the project stopped being “a useful website” and became a genuine public service. It also made clear that the idiom “You can’t please all the people all the time” was blindingly obvious as the Pulse inbox featured a small, determined and often aggressive influx of anti-vax rhetoric, which along with the very visible marches in town, brought us to the attention of national and even American ABC and NBC networks. We declined several invitations to contribute to stories that would clearly run along the lines of “Crazy-Hippy-Town-Unites-To-Deny-Covid-Is-A-Thing” style stories that would only help cement the oddball caricature image of Totnes.

I did however agree to help BBC Radio Four with The “Marianna in ConspiracyLand” radio series – I was advised it was to be a series investigating “The Light”- the ‘news’paper which is given away for free on our streets promoting easily disprovable mis-information and promoting far-right propaganda. Indeed, this is what the programme was actually about but when the series came out with the first programme centred on Totnes, I was disappointed of the cheap trope of “Alternative Totnes” being used to hang the series from and a little annoyed by the slightly lazy interpretation of the towns image.

2021–2022: Professionalising the Mission

As the world reopened, interest in local news returned with force. BBC journalist Zoe Clough and Sky Arts documentary maker Jim Funnel encouraged the team to formalise the project and strengthen editorial standards. The Pulse became a Community Interest Company, committing itself legally to serving the community. It also joined Impress, the UK’s independent press regulator, ensuring that its journalism met ethical, accountable standards.

This period marked the Pulse’s transition from a volunteer blog to a recognised local news outlet. Democracy depends on communal scrutiny of people with more power than us and those who affect our daily lives. The more outlets that do this, the less likely corruption or wrong-doing can take place without consequence.

2023–2026: A Growing Team and a Wider Reach

Over the next few years, the Pulse expanded its contributor base, covering everything from council decisions and planning disputes to arts events, community initiatives and local campaigns. It developed a distinctive editorial voice — factual, fair, and rooted in Totnes’ character and we’ve been extremely lucky to be helped by respected, experienced and nationally trained journalists. The site also embraced multimedia, photography, and more ambitious feature writing. Community groups increasingly approached the Pulse to share their work, recognising it as a platform that is seen locally.

2026: A Mature Local ‘Newsroom’

By its tenth anniversary, the Totnes Pulse has become a fixture of the town’s civic life. It is:

• Independent — free from corporate ownership or political influence
• Community‑run — shaped by volunteers, contributors and local voices
• Ethically regulated — committed to accuracy, fairness and transparency
• Hyper‑local — focused on Totnes and the local area, not national noise
• Public‑spirited — informed communities are stronger communities

Now that traditional news outlets are dying out, the Pulse stands as part of a new wave of grassroots journalism.

Why do local people work on the Totnes Pulse for free?

Zoe Clough (Director & Journalist): “I went to school in Totnes. Gigs in the Civic Hall. Coffee in the cafes during sixth form lunch break ( there were only two or three to chose from then ). Upstairs in The Dartmouth watching The Greatest Show on Legs doing the nude balloon dance. The market of course, where I had a stall in the school holidays. And now the Fringe festival. Amazing shops, wonderful creative people. Totnes is a unique town and if the Pulse can reflect what’s good, expose what’s not so good and keep people informed and entertained then I am proud to be a part of that. Happy birthday!”

Bob Carpenter (Volunteer): “I want to make it the “go to” place to find out what’s on in the town”

Andy Hill (Writer): “Totnes Pulse strikes a brilliant balance between being useful and entertaining. It understands what makes Totnes tick better than any other outlet. To the next ten years!”

Christine Sweetman (Contributor): “Totnes Pulse and it’s team are an open minded, dedicated group of interesting people who really care about the town of Totnes. Totnes Pulse has given me a platform for my scribblings and I enjoy promoting the hugely varied community & creative events in the town.”

Tony Gee (podcaster & writer): “Totnes Pulse gives Totnesians a voice. For the last five years we have been lucky enough to get weekly, fresh, broad and diverse insights into our community. Thank you Pulse, keep beating!”

A Decade On: What Comes Next

The Pulse enters its second decade with the same principles it began with: curiosity, independence, and a commitment to local democracy. But its ambitions have grown. We have more contributors, stronger editorial processes and a community that increasingly values reliable local reporting, the next ten years promise deeper investigations, richer storytelling and even greater public engagement. We are working on projects to improve our website, events and even social networking but we do need to improve our local news-gathering. If you can help support us by becoming a member it would be a huge help to those pesky costs we have to cover…

It might sound trite but the Totnes Pulse really is yours. We truly hope that it will continue to evolve, improve and get better at spotlighting what’s great about the area while casting light into the darker corners and if you want to join in and help with the project – please get in touch, there’s still lot’s to do!

I want to thank all the volunteers, contributors who help keep the wheels rolling and to you for being with us!