All about the United Kingdom’s national, regional and local press

News In Focus (defunct)

News In Focus was a weekly freesheet tabloid newspaper covering a varying area in West Kent and East Sussex, taking in the towns of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Crowborough and Oxted and surrounding villages.

It was published by the Courier Media Group, a branch of the Northcliffe Media regional newspaper publishing division of the Daily Mail & General Trust. The editorial offices were in Tunbridge Wells.

It was launched in 1983 in several editions:

  • News in Focus (Sevenoaks)
  • News in Focus (Tunbridge Wells)
  • Battle News in Focus
  • Crowborough News in Focus
  • Hailsham News in Focus
  • Lewes News in Focus
  • Uckfield News in Focus

Within the year, however, the last five had been amalgamated as the East Sussex News in Focus and joined by a further title, the East Grinstead News in Focus, just across the boundary in West Sussex.

The two West Kent editions were renamed Tunbridge Wells in Focus and Sevenoaks in Focus in 1989, and joined by a further one called Tonbridge in Focus. The East Sussex News in Focus became first the East Sussex in Focus in 1989, then simply the East Sussex Focus in 1992.

By 2009 the series had resolved into two editions, the West Kent Focus and the East Sussex Focus. Both were published on Tuesdays.

The two shared a common website mirrored over two URLs, reflecting the Courier Media Group’s presence in two counties.

Publication of the News In Focus series was suspended following the 24-25 March 2009 issue.