This article first appeared on The Media Stack and has been republished with permission from the author

​Sophie Laughton runs one of the UK’s most ambitious newsletter operations. The Metro’s head of newsletters oversees 17 active titles serving 2.5 million daily print readers and 15 million monthly online viewers.

The numbers tell the story. Metro’s politics newsletter, Alright Gov?, has grown significantly using personalised fact boxes that convert casual readers into subscribers. The approach combines data collection with editorial personality, and readers respond to content that feels tailored to their interests whilst maintaining a human voice. But it’s the platform experimentation that’s generating real momentum.

"We've seen a 12.5 per cent growth in our WhatsApp channel over the last 30 days, and 50 per cent of our reach comes from people sharing it with friends, rather than through direct Metro distribution," says Laughton.

The platform is helping in their aim to build "small, niche communities" around politics and other topics a different model to the broadcast approach of traditional email newsletters.

For a brand that started as a free commuter paper handed out on the London Tube, London's underground network, it’s quite a shift. Metro has maintained its non-partisan stance whilst building direct relationships across email, WhatsApp, and now Instagram. That editorial positioning - carefully neutral in an increasingly polarised media landscape - has become a strategic asset.

"It allows us to be balanced and provide a unique perspective," Laughton says of Metro’s editorial approach. The non-partisan stance gives Metro room to experiment with different newsletter formats and platforms without getting caught in the political tribalism that dominates much of the news industry.

​Laughton started in student journalism, graduated during the pandemic, and completed a master’s in magazine journalism before landing at Metro as a web assistant. That led to a full-time position and, eventually, to her current role.

​The newsletter industry has transformed during her tenure. What were once simple email updates have become sophisticated, personalised content operations. Publishers now see newsletters as relationship-building tools that offer something social platforms can’t: direct, owned access to engaged audiences.

​A recent redesign changed how Metro's newsletter team operates. It wasn't just cosmetic - it fundamentally altered their ability to test,........

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