Marcia McLaughlin

Marcia McLaughlin is the Founder and Editor in Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper. Marcia left trinity mirror in 1995 to launch her own newspaper titled community enterprise. She ran it until 2002 She suffered ill health and had to undergo 3 separate operations. After 3 years Marcia came back and was invited as the marketing director for Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre and steered the marketing of the centre during a difficult time for the charity.
Marcia resigned from the board. In 2010 launch the Phoenix Newspaper the first positive newspaper to hit the mainstream market; read and accepted by all cultures. Against this background, Marcia is the pioneer providing the UK with its first positive newspaper, other larger organisations have tried to emulate Marcia’s innovation and they to date they have not had consistent success and delivery compared to Marcia.
The Phoenix newspaper is philanthropic, a gift to its readers, no financial cost to its readers during the 8 years of connecting communities, bringing together people of all backgrounds, colour, race and religion, and celebrating the positive things going on locally, nationally and internationally.
The Phoenix Newspaper is recognised as UK’s only positive, Informative and objective publication dedicated to providing unbiased news from ALL communities. With a readership far in excess of 800,000 in print, and a daily online presence reaching out to over 50 countries across the world the newspaper makes links and media partnerships with organisations such as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the Commonwealth Africa Summit, Nishkam Centre, and Birmingham Commonwealth Association
The Phoenix Newspaper also holds its own awards ceremony where individuals are given recognition for their achievements in the business, education and government sectors and beyond The Phoenix Newspaper is a leading publication producing monthly copies, a weekly newsletter, as well as reaching 8 million online viewers to date. Now in its 8th year, it is the first official positive non-biased news publication in the UK with an international, national, and local readership.

In 2017 Marcia was the driving force and chief organiser behind the recent visit of His Imperial Majesty Alayeluwa Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi Ojaja II, 51st Ooni of Ife to Birmingham in November 2017 to attend the newspapers 7 th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation, as well as an itinerary to Universities, City Councils and local organisations, that helped forge business and cultural links between Birmingham and the Kingdom of Ile-Ife in Nigeria.

Chronological Information about Marcia:

Marcia, has extensive experience in advertising and media sales with Leisure Book Club, Chamber of Commerce Publications, Thompsons Directory, What’s On Magazine, Evening Mail, part of the Mirror Group and The Enterprise.

Marcia is member of the Caribbean Diaspora Delivery System Top Leadership Team.

Marcia, has been awarded Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Business Link, Inspirational Woman Of The Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Publishing by Bex Live, Community Group Inspiration Award by Word 4 Weapons and Local Heroes award, from Association of Jamaica Nationals in Birmingham.

Marcia has had a long history in Publishing –
She received the Top Achiever Award from the Leisure Circle Book Club.

Marcia worked as Marketing Director for Mark Lear Industrial Design – Solihull with responsibility for all company marketing and publicity surrounding the company’s involvement with the Channel Tunnel Train and Design Work including boats/ yachts etc.

She became Enterprise Co-ordinator for Trinity Mirror – Birmingham where she launched the first edition of The Enterprise Newspaper.

Marcia progressed to 2 Time Publishing Ltd where she continued to publish The Birmingham Enterprise.

Marcia serves communities; everyone included and no one left out, with the principles and values of inclusion, respect, equality of opportunities, job creation and creation of opportunities. She upholds respect and understanding of cultures that we live and work with in our daily lives.

Marcia breaks down barriers to create a greater understanding of your neighbour. Being included as part of the British way of life. Giving hope and role models.

Marcia has worked for many years in media and advertising, through Thompson Directory and Trinity Mirror, where she launched “Enterprise” about 20 years ago. A Community newspaper, designed originally as a wraparound feature promoting positivity, excellence and role models in a multicultural society.

It soon became its own entity, bringing people of all nationalities together allowing everyone to celebrate together Marcia did not believe there should be barriers between communities and strived to connect them together through the newspaper, which was published for 12 months at the Trinity Mirror.

Having left Trinity Mirror in 1995 to pursue her own direction, in 1996 she continued the publishing of Enterprise until 2002 under her own personal publishing company, completely self-funding, pushing positivity and multiculturalism.

Following an accident which left her in a coma, at the age of 50 and diabetic, Marcia started The Phoenix Newspaper on her own with £5,000 investment from a Muslim lady who sold her bangle to give her the start-up capital to make her dream a reality, channelling the energy of Community Enterprise, Connecting Communities and breaking down barriers between them where there should be none.

Marcia has worked tirelessly over the last 21+ years to make this a reality, and with The Phoenix Newspaper she has succeeded in bringing together people from all communities, sharing their achievements in a positive, objective and informative newspaper that is non-biased and accepting of all.

Marcia and the Phoenix Newspaper have recently been recognised by Word 4 Weapons, and was given a Community Inspiration Award.

In the last 8 years, The Phoenix Newspaper is now recognised as a mainstream, non-biased publication, which is accepted and used by all communities, proving that positive news is relevant and necessary in our communities and for our personal development.