When I started this blog seven years ago I discovered that one of the most reliable English-language news sources in Sweden was a start-up called The Local.
It was founded in 2004 by Paul Rapacioli, an ex-director of the employment agency reed.co.uk, and James Savage, a former radio journalist and PR consultant.
Since then, The Local has been launched in several other European countries - Germany, Norway, Switzerland and France. Now Rapacioli and Savage are extending their European coverage still further by launching in Spain next week (5 March) and Italy the following month.
Rapacioli, now chief executive of the company, tells me by email: "There are obviously a few challenges for a small independent company competing at every turn against international media giants.
"But we have a grand notion that the kind of daily news we produce could be very important for the future of Europe."
In an article on the French site, Rapacioli explains the thinking behind the sites, "Europe needs local news in the global language". He writes:
"Daily news is the glue of our society, defining the issues we care about and how we respond to them as a community. And since your community goes beyond your local neighbourhood, your city and even your country, daily news from around Europe should be a vital part of our lives."
Essentially, and inspiringly for all would-be digital news pioneers, it is possible to cast this as a David and Goliath story: a couple of skint English guys in Sweden start a little English newsletter for language students and end up running news sites serving three million readers across Europe.
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