037 Kim Smee / Manly Observer - a case study in Animation.

For nearly one hundred years the ‘Manly Daily’, a community newspaper, was delivered to peoples homes in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Then at the height of the pandemic local news was no more, except online behind a pay wall. Local woman, and former newspaper editor, Kim Smee, had a hunch that hyperlocal, non-sensationalised news, might be of value. After a tentative and uncertain start, the ‘Manly Observer’ is now getting over half a million views a month, has tens of thousands of followers on social media and has brought the community together at an important time. Born out of personal adversity, Kim Smee’s ‘Manly Observer’ is a classic case study in bringing things to life.