The Guardian have announced a move into the provision of local news on the web in 2010 with the launch of Guardian Local in three UK cities.

Sarah Hartley, the Guardian local launch editor said:

“While researching developments at the grassroots of community journalism, I’ve been impressed by the range and depth of coverage from local websites and blogs. This experimental project reflects both the shifting nature of journalism and the reality on the ground.”

Recruitment is now underway to find professional bloggers (job title: Beatblogger) to work on the three initial services in Leeds, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

The successful candidate will be a confident blogger, know their yelps from their tweets, have a passion for local news and understand how to build relationships with the local community. A journalism qualification is desirable but not essential.