Watch our reporters talk about Chichester and the Observer’s new app

The new app, which works smartphones and tablets running Google Android and Apple iOS, has been created by the Chichester Observer newspaper group – part of Sussex World – and is designed to give residents the best online reading experience.

There are very few advertisements on the app and they are all local. The articles are written by our team of expert professional journalists led by Phil Hewitt, Steve Bone, Sam Morton, Henry Bryant and Connor Gormley. Clubs and societies can also submit their own reports to the app.

Start your trial today by following these three easy steps…

Step 1: Apple users go go the App Store and Android users go to the Google Play Store on your mobile devices

Step 2: Type Chichester Observer in the search bar

Step 3: Download the app and tap Try free for a month and start enjoying the latest news, sport, arts and entertainment and more from the Observer

Editor In Chief Gary Shipton said: “I’m delighted to announce the launch of the Chichester, Bognor Regis and Midhurst & Petworth Observer digital app on Apple and Google Android platforms.

“Packed with exclusive, all-local content and delivered with an ultra-fast, ad-light browsing experience, our new premium app experience is, quite simply, the best way to read expert local journalism from the team at the Chichester Observer online.

“Quality, well-researched local journalism costs money to produce and we firmly believe that the way to safeguard its future in our community is by providing readers in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Midhurst & Petworth with the best possible digital product and not overwhelming them with intrusive, low-quality advertising."

He said that the area had always been renowned for delivering quality – whether in the arts notably through the Chichester Festival Theatre, Goodwood or global businesses such as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

“This is a wonderful place in which to live and work,” Mr Shipton added. “The environment and the cultural scene are without parallel. We believe this new digital reading experience perfectly matches the aspirations of local people.”

In recent years local journalism has been under enormous financial pressure which has resulted in online stories being overwhelmed with pop-up advertising. This app is completely different – moving the dial back to the halcyon days of local newspapers.

You can support what we do with a digital subscription to the app from less that £1 per week (£3.99 a month) and try it completely free for your first month. If you buy an annual subscription after your free trial month it will cost only £29.99.

Apple users can find the app in the App Store here and Android users can download from the Google Play Store here.

“I do hope you will support us. In becoming a subscriber you will help to protect the Observer’s renowned quality journalism,” Mr Shipton said.

You can also contribute your own community reports to the app and to the newspaper. Simply log on to the Your World portal and select Sussex World from the menu.

Please take advantage of the free trial – and do tell us what you think.