SNIE is a free e-forum which was set up following a request from several editors of small newspapers who attended the Commonwealth Editors' Forum in Kandy, Sri Lanka in February this year.The subscribers of SNIE are publishers, managers and editors of small newspapers from all over the Commonwealth. 'Small' is impossible to define and indeed, in some countries the editors of the smaller papers have asked to be subscribed, CPU Training Director Jane Rangeley said.The purpose of this e-forum, or listserve, is to help the subscribers make their papers more profitable.

It would be a forum for discussion on management issues, an opportunity to exchange ideas, and a chance to stay in touch with publishers, managers and editors of small or smaller papers across the Commonwealth.In addition to publishers and editors, the mailing list also includes some training consultants and university academics as well as recently retired newspaper editors were willing to offer their own opinions on issues, Ms. Rangeley said.

The moderator is John Schalch, Editor-in-Chief, Capricornia Newspapers, Queensland, Australia and to provide some geographical balance, Roxanne Gibbs, Associate Managing Editor, Nation Newspapers in Barbados, West Indies has kindly agreed to act as a kind of catalyst in her region.Nearly 140 people are already subscribed on SNIE and we expect more to join once it is launched, she said. Contact jane@cpu.org.uk