YOUR local newspaper is nearly 250 years old and is read by almost 100,000 people across Essex.
More than 26,000 of you buy the paper each week – officially Britain's best two years running – and over 200,000 people visit our website every month.
Every year we circulate 1.3 million copies and you spend 2.6 million hours reading them.
In fact, more people in the local area read the Essex Chronicle than watch Match of the Day each week.
And best still, if you piled up all the newspapers we print in a year, they would reach 13 times the height of The Shard.
So we are truly proud of our loyal following, but we want to do more – we want to reach more people, tell more stories and cover more events.
That is why we're opening up our website to our readers – no longer will you have to wait a week to share your news with the good people of Essex.
If you have a community event, a charity fundraiser or a business story, you can now upload an article directly to thisistotalessex.co.uk and see it published online that day.
Informed
Essex Chronicle editor Paul Dent-Jones said: "We want our readers, both online and in print, to be the best informed in the county.
"By allowing our readership to share news with each other directly on our website and by cutting out the middle man, we hope to make our website a community portal for everything happening locally."
On Thursday, April 11, together with the Diocese of Chelmsford, we are hosting our 'Chronicle People' event at St Cedd's Hall in the Chapter House, Cathedral Walk, Chelmsford, to show people just how easy it is to tell us your news.
So if you're a local children's football team that's looking for a kit sponsor, a business with a story to tell, a charity group in desperate need of volunteers, or simply an amateur newshound, come along and learn how to share your news far and wide in just a few clicks of your mouse.
Paul added: "Whether you're a local charity organising a fun-run, a church group with a charity fete, or a company organising a networking event, we want you to share your news with our 200,000 loyal online readers.
"But, make no mistake; we'll still be putting our heart and soul into making the Essex Chronicle the best local paper it can be, holding the powers-that-be to account and fighting for your voices to be heard."
The best stories from our online contributors will feature in print in the Essex Chronicle, while we're also opening up our newspaper columns to more people in the community.
Contribution
The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford,who writes for the Chronicle regularly, said: "The Essex Chronicle makes an outstanding contribution to the life of our great county.
"It has kept our communities informed and entertained for generations. Today it is still one of the best ways of finding out what is happening.
"Now the Chronicle will help everyone to publish their own news and pictures online.
"By working with the Essex Chronicle to launch this community journalism project, the Diocese of Chelmsford hopes to encourage as many people as possible to find out about this new way to connect with one another."
OUR EVENT
The Chronicle has teamed up with the Diocese of Chelmsford for the launch of its 'community journalism 'Chronicle People' event.
The event is at St Cedd's Hall in Chapter House, Cathedral Walk – next door to Chelmsford Cathedral – on Thursday, April 11, between 7 and 9pm.
Here we will give a simple seminar on how our army of loyal readers can upload their own stories and pictures directly to our website thisistotalessex.co.uk
There are 120 seats so people will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served from 7 to 7.30pm.
