It is a non-profit news media published by the Fitzrovia Community Newspaper Group, with support from central London charity the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association as part of its charitable work.[3][4]
The Fitzrovia News was originally called The Tower and was started by a group of community activists in April 1973 in response to threats to their neighbourhood from building developers and the loss of housing. The name Tower was a reference to the Post Office Tower now the BT Tower which stands near the geographic heart of the neighbourhood. The Tower was produced from the flat of Judith Thomas, a local resident. The paper was renamed Fitzrovia News in 1980 when it was produced by the Fitzrovia Community Newspaper Group from the recently established Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre.[5]
The printed paper is produced four times a year. It is left at distribution points in the London neighbourhood of Fitzrovia. The website is updated more frequently and the editors produce a monthly email newsletter to subscribers. Like many hyperlocal media, the Fitzrovia News makes extensive use of freely available digital media: blog software WordPress and social mediaTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram.[6]
Fitzrovia News covers all aspects of life in Fitzrovia with news and features about housing, business, environment, people, events, history and culture.[7] "It has pursued stories about the impact of rising property prices and local hospital workers losing their homes, and submitted freedom of information requests to the local council."[8]
Until April 2020 the newspaper was led by editor Mike Pentelow, an author and former trade union journalist.[9][10][11]
