SoGlos.com
Encyclopedia
SoGlos.com is an online magazine
for Gloucestershire
covering Cheltenham
, the Cotswolds
, the Forest of Dean
, Gloucester
, Stroud
and Tewkesbury
– with an editorial remit focused on arts, entertainment and leisure.
SoGlos.com is owned and run by independent Cheltenham-based publishing company So Publishing Ltd. While free for users to access, the online magazine generates revenue through the sale of display advertising
.
, Press Gazette
, and Webuser as one of the UK’s first regional online magazines written by professional journalists.
In 2008 SoGlos.com launched a Google Maps
-powered Gloucestershire Interactive Map – a mash-up
using the map provider’s API and SoGlos.com’s own directory of venue listings to plot restaurants, attractions, hotels across the county. This was reported by publications and websites including The Guardian
and Google Maps Mania.
In 2009 SoGlos.com launched a series of Web widgets allowing webmasters to embed a calendar of Gloucestershire events, directly fed from the online magazine's listings, onto their own website. This was reported by publications and websites including journalism.co.uk
, Press Gazette
and HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk.
In June 2010 SoGlos.com won the title of 'Website of the Year' in the EDF Energy
South West Media Awards. In May 2010 SoGlos.com won the title of 'Best eBusiness' in the Cheltenham Borough Council-run Business Excellence Awards.
SoGlos.com's YouTube
channel is one of the most popular in South West England
, with total upload views exceeding 4.5 million - thanks in part to the popularity of videos of Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling tradition.
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
covering Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
, Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, Stroud
Stroud
Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...
and Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
– with an editorial remit focused on arts, entertainment and leisure.
Overview and ownership
The online magazine is divided into dedicated sections including restaurants, theatre & comedy, art & culture, music and accommodation – each including relevant editorial event previews, reviews and news, plus a directory of Gloucestershire venues.SoGlos.com is owned and run by independent Cheltenham-based publishing company So Publishing Ltd. While free for users to access, the online magazine generates revenue through the sale of display advertising
Display advertising
Display advertising is a type of advertising that typically contains text , logos, photographs or other images, location maps, and similar items. In periodicals, display advertising can appear on the same page as, or on the page adjacent to, general editorial content...
.
Background and development
SoGlos.com was officially launched in July 2007, as reported by publications and websites including The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Press Gazette
Press Gazette
Press Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette , is a British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. It was first published in 1965, and currently has a circulation of about 2,500, although it had enjoyed higher circulations earlier in its history...
, and Webuser as one of the UK’s first regional online magazines written by professional journalists.
In 2008 SoGlos.com launched a Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
-powered Gloucestershire Interactive Map – a mash-up
Mashup (digital)
A digital mashup usually is in reference to:1. Digital media content containing any or all of text, graphics, audio, video and animation drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work...
using the map provider’s API and SoGlos.com’s own directory of venue listings to plot restaurants, attractions, hotels across the county. This was reported by publications and websites including The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and Google Maps Mania.
In 2009 SoGlos.com launched a series of Web widgets allowing webmasters to embed a calendar of Gloucestershire events, directly fed from the online magazine's listings, onto their own website. This was reported by publications and websites including journalism.co.uk
Journalism.co.uk
Journalism.co.uk was founded in 1999 with the aim of covering the online publishing industry and how the Internet is fundamentally changing the practice of journalism...
, Press Gazette
Press Gazette
Press Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette , is a British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. It was first published in 1965, and currently has a circulation of about 2,500, although it had enjoyed higher circulations earlier in its history...
and HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk.
Readership and awards
SoGlos.com is reported to have a monthly reach of 72,000 individual readers, in addition to sending a weekly email newsletter to 16,500 subscribers.In June 2010 SoGlos.com won the title of 'Website of the Year' in the EDF Energy
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom...
South West Media Awards. In May 2010 SoGlos.com won the title of 'Best eBusiness' in the Cheltenham Borough Council-run Business Excellence Awards.
SoGlos.com's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel is one of the most popular in South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, with total upload views exceeding 4.5 million - thanks in part to the popularity of videos of Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling tradition.
Further References
- News article on holdthefrontpage.co.uk
- Interview with SoGlos.com founders on Online Journalism Blog
- YouTube video of Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2008
- News article on journalism.co.uk