Social media has changed the way news organisations deliver their stories to the reader, but with networks like Twitter and Facebook an article must compete with the growing buzz of digital conversation.

As a result, the Oxford Mail has set up a new service through WhatsApp, the private messaging smartphone application, to deliver the most important news straight to the reader’s pocket.

“It’s much more direct in turning around saying ‘come and read our story’,” Jason Collie, assistant editor of the Mail told Journalism.co.uk.

“Instead of hoping that yours is the one out of six or seven potential competitors that will be picked up by the readers.”

The WhatsApp service has been running for three weeks, since 2 June, and has amassed over 200 followers since.