Joshi Herrmann
@joshih.bsky.social
millmedia.bsky.social editor/founder. Interested in #localjournalism and low-stakes media drama.
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
@manchestermill.bsky.social doing some proper reporting while the MEN's coverage is sorely lacking.
But I did have a dark laugh at the highlighted bit. Thuggery and stupidity go fist in fist.
But I did have a dark laugh at the highlighted bit. Thuggery and stupidity go fist in fist.
![So when the owner called him up to tell him that the windows of his cafe had been smashed during a protest about a conflict almost 2,000 miles away from Pakistan, and even further from the Curry Mile, between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, he quite naturally assumed there had been some kind of mistake. The Syrian president, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, is commonly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Akbar had been led to understand that the broken windows were the result of a Jilani/Julani mix up. [The next sentence is highlighted.] “Not only was it thuggish behaviour, but it was also stupid,” he says.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:evbq2cju2fvjn5or4aduubd5/bafkreiekshtxacwelyh72zuqdtzyyoxtx5yaotkmltbktekax7eei73o74@jpeg)
January 23, 2026 at 9:38 AM
@manchestermill.bsky.social doing some proper reporting while the MEN's coverage is sorely lacking.
But I did have a dark laugh at the highlighted bit. Thuggery and stupidity go fist in fist.
But I did have a dark laugh at the highlighted bit. Thuggery and stupidity go fist in fist.
This is such a great piece by Rosie Swash in the @londonermag.bsky.social
www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-mystery-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-mystery-...
The mystery of South Bank's unknown husband
'I feel a bit sad for you that you have met the Easter Bunny, because now the mystery is solved, and you're just gonna close that chapter'
www.the-londoner.co.uk
January 23, 2026 at 12:03 PM
This is such a great piece by Rosie Swash in the @londonermag.bsky.social
www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-mystery-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-mystery-...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Why quality local journalism matters. @manchestermill.bsky.social broke the story about governance failures at the University formally known as Bolton.
January 16, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Why quality local journalism matters. @manchestermill.bsky.social broke the story about governance failures at the University formally known as Bolton.
Two key figures in Greater Manchester have resigned this week following @manchestermill.bsky.social investigations: The chair of the Uni of GM and the CEO of Rochdale Council. This is the kind of accountability local areas need and that they lose when papers stop taking risks and turn to clickbait.
January 15, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Two key figures in Greater Manchester have resigned this week following @manchestermill.bsky.social investigations: The chair of the Uni of GM and the CEO of Rochdale Council. This is the kind of accountability local areas need and that they lose when papers stop taking risks and turn to clickbait.
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
William Morris, chair of @uni-greatermcr.bsky.social’s board – the most influential person at the university - has resigned
It comes after we reported a curious arrangement in which his wife Baroness Morris runs a company that has charged the university millions manchestermill.co.uk/first-the-vi...
It comes after we reported a curious arrangement in which his wife Baroness Morris runs a company that has charged the university millions manchestermill.co.uk/first-the-vi...
First the vice chancellor was suspended, now the chair of the board of governors is gone too
Another big development at the University of Greater Manchester
manchestermill.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 4:35 PM
William Morris, chair of @uni-greatermcr.bsky.social’s board – the most influential person at the university - has resigned
It comes after we reported a curious arrangement in which his wife Baroness Morris runs a company that has charged the university millions manchestermill.co.uk/first-the-vi...
It comes after we reported a curious arrangement in which his wife Baroness Morris runs a company that has charged the university millions manchestermill.co.uk/first-the-vi...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
The decline of local newspapers has created a big gap - with areas struggling to build new models of coverage.
But some have been bucking the trend - in particular @millmedia.bsky.social founded as @manchestermill.bsky.social in Manchester.
Find out more: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
But some have been bucking the trend - in particular @millmedia.bsky.social founded as @manchestermill.bsky.social in Manchester.
Find out more: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
Is this the future of local news?
The Manchester Mill model goes nationwide
futurenorth.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 9:10 AM
The decline of local newspapers has created a big gap - with areas struggling to build new models of coverage.
But some have been bucking the trend - in particular @millmedia.bsky.social founded as @manchestermill.bsky.social in Manchester.
Find out more: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
But some have been bucking the trend - in particular @millmedia.bsky.social founded as @manchestermill.bsky.social in Manchester.
Find out more: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
In 2012, there were rumblings in Manchester that something strange was happening with the Central Library renovation. Staff were alleging there had been a miscalculation in the amount of shelving that had led to the council needing to cut a disproportionate % of books at speed. (1/??)
January 10, 2026 at 2:07 PM
In 2012, there were rumblings in Manchester that something strange was happening with the Central Library renovation. Staff were alleging there had been a miscalculation in the amount of shelving that had led to the council needing to cut a disproportionate % of books at speed. (1/??)
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
The library as 'living center for community resources' vs. 'archive of the written word': eternal tension illuminated by @millmedia.bsky.social 's @sophieatkinson.bsky.social
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
manchestermill.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 2:01 PM
The library as 'living center for community resources' vs. 'archive of the written word': eternal tension illuminated by @millmedia.bsky.social 's @sophieatkinson.bsky.social
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Manchester’s Central Library was once considered the British Library of the North. Did a miscalculation in shelving lead to it having to chop a huge fraction of its non-fiction collection, and at speed? I spent a year obsessing about a long-lost rumour from the early 2010s tinyurl.com/ynsyvy2t
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
tinyurl.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Manchester’s Central Library was once considered the British Library of the North. Did a miscalculation in shelving lead to it having to chop a huge fraction of its non-fiction collection, and at speed? I spent a year obsessing about a long-lost rumour from the early 2010s tinyurl.com/ynsyvy2t
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
The @manchestermill.bsky.social is such a gem of a local paper. This article on the Central Library demonstrates so well how the local can be a microcosm of wider trends.
“It seems possible that what was being fought over here was not only the books, but two competing visions of this city. “
“It seems possible that what was being fought over here was not only the books, but two competing visions of this city. “
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
manchestermill.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 10:39 AM
The @manchestermill.bsky.social is such a gem of a local paper. This article on the Central Library demonstrates so well how the local can be a microcosm of wider trends.
“It seems possible that what was being fought over here was not only the books, but two competing visions of this city. “
“It seems possible that what was being fought over here was not only the books, but two competing visions of this city. “
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Excellent thread and piece by JP
The renaissance in local news is an exciting trend driven by online platforms. And one of the largest of these, @millmedia.bsky.social, was founded by @joshih.bsky.social in Manchester in 2020. It has now expanded to over 200,000 people subscribed across its 6 cities; over 13,000 of these pay.
1/6
1/6
January 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Excellent thread and piece by JP
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Overall a key lesson from this story is the power of new organisations to make positive change – Mill Media is to be commended for pushing the boundaries of new media and local democracy.
Thanks to @djstimms.bsky.social for the chat.
Read more here: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
6/6
Thanks to @djstimms.bsky.social for the chat.
Read more here: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
6/6
Is this the future of local news?
The Manchester Mill model goes nationwide
futurenorth.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Overall a key lesson from this story is the power of new organisations to make positive change – Mill Media is to be commended for pushing the boundaries of new media and local democracy.
Thanks to @djstimms.bsky.social for the chat.
Read more here: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
6/6
Thanks to @djstimms.bsky.social for the chat.
Read more here: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-this-th...
6/6
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
The renaissance in local news is an exciting trend driven by online platforms. And one of the largest of these, @millmedia.bsky.social, was founded by @joshih.bsky.social in Manchester in 2020. It has now expanded to over 200,000 people subscribed across its 6 cities; over 13,000 of these pay.
1/6
1/6
January 8, 2026 at 9:02 AM
The renaissance in local news is an exciting trend driven by online platforms. And one of the largest of these, @millmedia.bsky.social, was founded by @joshih.bsky.social in Manchester in 2020. It has now expanded to over 200,000 people subscribed across its 6 cities; over 13,000 of these pay.
1/6
1/6
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
While the number of white stab victims has more than halved over the last decade, the figure for black victims has risen.
We dug into the data behind London's historically low homicide rate. Free to read link below ⬇️
We dug into the data behind London's historically low homicide rate. Free to read link below ⬇️
January 7, 2026 at 4:08 PM
While the number of white stab victims has more than halved over the last decade, the figure for black victims has risen.
We dug into the data behind London's historically low homicide rate. Free to read link below ⬇️
We dug into the data behind London's historically low homicide rate. Free to read link below ⬇️
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Temperatures have plummeted below freezing and the council's emergency weather protocols have kicked in: every rough sleeper identified in the city should be offered overnight accommodation. But not everybody will accept this offer, and the reasons why are complex and varied.
Sleeping on the snowy streets of Manchester
Two homeless men have died in Manchester so far this winter. Can further deaths be prevented?
manchestermill.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Temperatures have plummeted below freezing and the council's emergency weather protocols have kicked in: every rough sleeper identified in the city should be offered overnight accommodation. But not everybody will accept this offer, and the reasons why are complex and varied.
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
After their excellent piece on Penda's Fen a few weeks ago, @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social turns its attention to the Midlands' other great slice of celluloid history. Time for another showing, @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social?
The bizarre ode to brutalist Birmingham that killed Cliff Richard’s film career
The Peter Pan of Pop’s final big-screen role is a prize piece of Brummie pop culture. Just maybe not in the way he intended…
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk
December 27, 2025 at 10:17 AM
After their excellent piece on Penda's Fen a few weeks ago, @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social turns its attention to the Midlands' other great slice of celluloid history. Time for another showing, @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social?
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Not long ago, I got a tip off from a reader who'd seen my piece about Manchester's warring tour guides.
She told me of a similar battle going on between the burger vans outside Old Trafford - mostly run by women from Odsall: "salt of the earth... but you'd rather have them as friend than foe".
She told me of a similar battle going on between the burger vans outside Old Trafford - mostly run by women from Odsall: "salt of the earth... but you'd rather have them as friend than foe".
January 3, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Not long ago, I got a tip off from a reader who'd seen my piece about Manchester's warring tour guides.
She told me of a similar battle going on between the burger vans outside Old Trafford - mostly run by women from Odsall: "salt of the earth... but you'd rather have them as friend than foe".
She told me of a similar battle going on between the burger vans outside Old Trafford - mostly run by women from Odsall: "salt of the earth... but you'd rather have them as friend than foe".
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
And an excellent explanation of where Boxing Day comes from 🎁🥊
December 25, 2025 at 7:46 PM
And an excellent explanation of where Boxing Day comes from 🎁🥊
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
🎄 Herring soup and piss ups: this is Christmas in Georgian Manchester. We look at how Mancunians in the 18th century made merry.
manchestermill.co.uk/herring-soup...
manchestermill.co.uk/herring-soup...
Herring soup and piss ups: this is Christmas in Georgian Manchester
We look at how Mancunians in the 18th century made merry
manchestermill.co.uk
December 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
🎄 Herring soup and piss ups: this is Christmas in Georgian Manchester. We look at how Mancunians in the 18th century made merry.
manchestermill.co.uk/herring-soup...
manchestermill.co.uk/herring-soup...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
I have been so disappointed by the lack of urgency and transparency displayed by the universities watchdog.
Allegations of impropriety at the University of Greater Manchester surfaced months ago after @manchestermill.bsky.social reporting, so why has a formal investigation only just been launched?
Allegations of impropriety at the University of Greater Manchester surfaced months ago after @manchestermill.bsky.social reporting, so why has a formal investigation only just been launched?
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says
Office for Students accused of ‘glacial’ response to allegations of fraud, bullying and mismanagement
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I have been so disappointed by the lack of urgency and transparency displayed by the universities watchdog.
Allegations of impropriety at the University of Greater Manchester surfaced months ago after @manchestermill.bsky.social reporting, so why has a formal investigation only just been launched?
Allegations of impropriety at the University of Greater Manchester surfaced months ago after @manchestermill.bsky.social reporting, so why has a formal investigation only just been launched?
This does seem bizarrely slow. @philbrickellmp.bsky.social raised this story in parliament in March and leader of the House Lucy Powell said the OfS were looking into it.
December 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This does seem bizarrely slow. @philbrickellmp.bsky.social raised this story in parliament in March and leader of the House Lucy Powell said the OfS were looking into it.
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Honourable mention of @manchestermill.bsky.social
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says
Office for Students accused of ‘glacial’ response to allegations of fraud, bullying and mismanagement
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Honourable mention of @manchestermill.bsky.social
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Every Christmas pudding tells a story of Liverpool’s innovation, enterprise and ambition — with a large helping of exploitation too.
Did our modern Christmas start in our docks? 🎄
www.livpost.co.uk/how-liverpoo...
Did our modern Christmas start in our docks? 🎄
www.livpost.co.uk/how-liverpoo...
How Liverpool invented Christmas
Every Christmas pudding tells a story of Liverpool’s innovation, enterprise and ambition — with a large helping of exploitation too. Did our modern Christmas start in our docks?
www.livpost.co.uk
December 20, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Every Christmas pudding tells a story of Liverpool’s innovation, enterprise and ambition — with a large helping of exploitation too.
Did our modern Christmas start in our docks? 🎄
www.livpost.co.uk/how-liverpoo...
Did our modern Christmas start in our docks? 🎄
www.livpost.co.uk/how-liverpoo...
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
Matthew Goodwin objects to prosecuting this: ‘I think it’s time for the British to gang together, hit the streets and start the slaughter. Violence and murder is the only way now. Start off burning every migrant hotel then head off to MPs’ houses and Parliament, we need to take over by FORCE.’
December 18, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Matthew Goodwin objects to prosecuting this: ‘I think it’s time for the British to gang together, hit the streets and start the slaughter. Violence and murder is the only way now. Start off burning every migrant hotel then head off to MPs’ houses and Parliament, we need to take over by FORCE.’
Reposted by Joshi Herrmann
🚨BIG HIRING NEWS🚨
We're hiring for a marketing and events assistant! Applications close Sunday 4 January, and the successful candidate will be:
- Creative, organised and highly efficient
- Committed to working in a fast-paced startup
- A talented social media operator
More below:
We're hiring for a marketing and events assistant! Applications close Sunday 4 January, and the successful candidate will be:
- Creative, organised and highly efficient
- Committed to working in a fast-paced startup
- A talented social media operator
More below:
Marketing and events assistant
Role details Location: Greater Manchester (please do not apply if you’re not able to work in our Manchester office four days a week) Salary: £27,000 Basis: Full-time (including some weekend and out…
millmediaco.uk
December 18, 2025 at 12:45 PM
🚨BIG HIRING NEWS🚨
We're hiring for a marketing and events assistant! Applications close Sunday 4 January, and the successful candidate will be:
- Creative, organised and highly efficient
- Committed to working in a fast-paced startup
- A talented social media operator
More below:
We're hiring for a marketing and events assistant! Applications close Sunday 4 January, and the successful candidate will be:
- Creative, organised and highly efficient
- Committed to working in a fast-paced startup
- A talented social media operator
More below: